The Savior
by WolfCross
Summary: Everything changed for Kuro Ookami when his heart did. While still an outcast in Shujin Academy with a record to rival that odd transfer student, he knew his mistakes. He embraced them. Now all there was left was to repay his debt to the man he owes his life to. Follow his journey as a phantom thief, finding his redemption, revenge, and maybe finding some friends along the way.
1. Chapter 1: One Reason

_**Yo! Here's my first take on Persona Five. For anyone wondering the time of which this takes place, it is just after summer break, when they go back to school. If you're interested, go ahead and give this a look. Enjoy!**_

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When Kuro opened the door, sunlight glared relentlessly into his still tired eyes, forcing his hand up. The blazing hot air sucked the breath out of him, and sweat was already bordering around his brow. Lord knows he hated the heat. He would've blatantly refused to leave his home if he hadn't promised to take his sister out to get ice cream beforehand. With a low groan, he straightened his ruffled white streaked dark shirt and jeans. Before he could take his first steps into the blazing sun, a small blue blur rushed past him.

Yukina, his younger, fun-loving, wearing a light blue sundress, shorts and a bright smile, was practically bouncing on her heels in excitement. "C'mon! You're taking too long, let's go!"

A dry smile stretched onto Kuro's face. "Yeah, yeah, I'm coming." He said, waving her off. He closed the door behind him and locked it behind him. He made his way to the small gate where his the hyper young girl was, and walked into the street. Yukina's small hands closed around his own, and she tugged impatiently.

"C'mon, Kuu-kun hurry! There gonna run out!"

"There not gonna run out of ice cream, Yuki-chan." Kuro said patiently. "Or who knows, maybe they will when you get your little claws all over it." He smiled at the adorable pout. He couldn't resist. When she puffed her cheeks out like that, it made her all the more cute. "Easy, Yuki-chan, I'm just teasing you. C'mon, it's my treat today."

"Yay! Thank's Kuu-kun?" Yukina cheered. Kuro rolled his eyes. Why she called him that was anyone's guess. It probably attributed to their last names, but if that were the case, why did she call him that? He didn't care deep down.

Tokyo was always a bustling place, with buildings that pierced the skies, lights in every direction, and rodes that were either covered with cars or people trying to avoid them. Citizens came and gone, going about their business, and seemingly marching in droves. Kuro tightened his hand around his younger sisters. The last thing he wanted was for her to be lost in this mess. The siblings ambled their way to the ice cream store in the middle of Shibuya. Fighting his way into the parlor, he ordered his vanilla cone, and got a triple scoop for her sister.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Yukina shrilly cheered in rapid fire, already waging war on her ice cream cone.

"Yukina, don't eat so quickly. You'll get a stomach ache." Kuro said patiently once more.

Whatever Yukina said back was drowned under a mountain of ice cream. Kuro chucked, shaking his head. Out of the corner of his vision, he watched the passerbyers going about their daily lives, wondering just how he got where he was today.

Not too long ago, a few weeks ago in fact, Kuro hated the world. Hated everything about it right to the core. Corruption enraged him. Humanity pissed him off. Society made him sick to his stomach. He rejected reality and reality rejected him back. Shujin Academy and everyone in it wanted him to disappear. The bigger students tried to beat him. The smaller one's screamed and ran away. Everything in between ignored his existence entirely, something he used to prefer.

Rumors about him spread like wildfire to this very day, some true, some not. Most of them revolved around his stint as a delinquent of the likes that even rivaled that so called violent transfer student who was currently on probation for assault. Kuro felt sorry for him. The dude looked like he wouldn't hurt a fly, and he was being treated like he'd burn down an orphanage for shits and giggles. Trying to fight off those rumors became too much trouble. Surely, the transfer student felt the same way because he did nothing to stop them.

That was life for the last ten years, ever since society made his family slowly work to death. Damn Okumura and their practices. Damn them to hell. Then suddenly, it just stopped. One morning, he woke up and rethought his life entirely, almost like a light switch being turned on again for the first time in years. He felt tense, but lighter. Aware, but more jubilant. Life seemed just a bit brighter, even though he knew society was fucked up. He knew his mistakes, and embraced them. The love of Yukina was a testament to that.

Something had changed his life. Something big. When he thought about it, the phenomena surrounding the Phantom Thieves came to mind. Stalking their website had its advantages as well. It took quite a few hours of searching but he finally found his full name, with an anonymous tip saying pretty much 'kick his ass', and he had no idea from who. Trying to find them would've been too much effort and he wouldn't have really done anything about it anyway. Too much work really.

Speaking of the transfer, he should be passing by right about…

As if on cue, a tall and skinny young man with curly, unkempt black hair that dangled in front of his glasses, walked down the middle of the street. Something in his bag was squirming about. He learned what it was a long time ago, a cat that he brought to class, the only really rule breaking thing he'd seen him do. Who would have guessed? Every kid in school wondered what he carried. Whether it was drugs, weapons, etc. Nope! It's a cat! Now calm down everybody!

His name… Akiza? No, Akira Kurusu. Akira turned by chance and glanced at Kuro. Pushing his glasses up with his finger, he nodded to him. Kuro nodded back. They were both thinking the same thing but for different reasons. They knew each other, and only one knew why. A tug on his shoulder brought his attention back to his little sister.

"Big brother, do you like men now?" She asked in her most innocent voice.

"What the he- no! Why on earth would you think something like that?" Kuro asked tightly, eyes narrowing in annoyance.

"But you keep looking at that one guy. Kuro-kun likes him, no?" She asked, tilting her head.

"Heck. No." Kuro replied promptly.

"Will I get a second big brother?"

"Can we drop this please?" Kuro asked, exasperated. Routinely, he checked his watch. Time really flew past him. It was nearly the afternoon. Kuro grunted. What a way to spend his Sunday morning. "We should head back soon. Auntee will probably be worried about us."

"Okay! Race ya!" And with that, Yukina ran off into the crowd, protecting her ice cream cone like it was her lifeline. Kuro sighed and caught her before she got too lost. When they arrived home, he told Yukina to stay home while he took care of something. It was more he just wanted some time out of the house. After taking the long route back to Shibuya, bided his time playing games on his phone until it was near evening time, or so he thought. Really, the sun had barely started setting, only slightly shifting to orange.

Home wasn't where he wanted to be right now. Time alone to think was just what Kuro needed, especially with tomorrow looming ever closer. A wry smirk found its way on his face. To think it had been a month and a half since he last stepped in Shujin. Nearly two months since the incident. It would have been shorter had summer vacation come not long afterwards. His heart throbbed just thinking about it. And it was all his fault too. No blaming anyone else for it. During these past two weeks, he had so much time to reflect, and even more time to wonder why he was reflecting to begin with.

The screen went black, a red empty battery icon blinking on it. Kuro grumbled, staring at the boy he saw looking back at him through the black screen. His straight black hair was getting a bit too long, with his bangs reaching just over his eyes. His hazel, green tint eyes were faded, glared at his rather handsome yet scrappy face, with a small stubble he always forgets to shave.

"Oi, Ookami-kun!" Kuro looked up, brow raised. The moment he saw who called him, he sighed. Not this right now, please God not now.

"What do you want, Sakamoto-san." Kuro asked in a low tone, eager to send him on his way. A blonde boy about his age trotted slowching out of the crowd with quite a natural scowl on an otherwise handsome face. His chocolate brown eyes tried to look intimidating, but Kuro had seen worse. No, he was worse. He wasn't about to start anything. No doubt, Sakamoto would thrash him right now given the circumstances.

"I want you to piss off!" He growled, waving his fist at him. Kuro clicked his tongue. The vulgar boy strikes again.

"I didn't do anything, please just leave me alone." Kuro said, not bothering to hide his annoyance.

"Bullshit! You know what I'm talking about. You're stalking my friend, you bastard." His eyes narrowed on Kuro, his voice lowering to a threatening whisper. "I know what you did to that kid. He had to transfer schools because of your temper. If you think you can do that to my friends, you've got another thing coming."

Kuro backed off, feeling somewhat hurt. "But I-"

"Save it. Eff off, or get knocked out. Last warning." With that, he marched back into the crowd, leaving Kuro feeling more upset than earlier. Of course they wouldn't let it go that easily. No doubt the entire school heard about what he did.

Kuro let out one last heaving sigh before standing up and taking the longer route home again. It was nearly midnight before he returned. His auntee was going to kill him for breaking curfew, but he didn't care.

The moment he got into his room, he flopped onto his bed without even untying his shoes, and drifted off to a dreamless sleep. When the beeping of his alarm clocked started, he already wanted to break something, preferably that damn clock. Fighting his way out of his tangle of blankets, he took a shower, brushed his teeth, and stared at the uniform on his bed, freshly pressed and ready to go, courtesy of his lovely aunt.

Kuro chuckled ruefully. It was practically gathering dust, it was so unused. He took a deep breath. Today was a new day. No matter the tremendous nerves he felt, he had to be strong. His mother and father wouldn't have wanted him to suffer like this. His stomach lurched thinking about them. No. Not now, he had to go. He dressed himself, picked up his back, and went to get his shoes before stepping on something. Something… evil.

"Agh! Dammit! Why the hell do I still have these things?" Kuro howled in pain, clutching his foot. The red Lego was still there. Grudgingly, he yanked it out, and tossed it at the wall, only for it to bounce off and bop his head and land on the floor. Kuro cupped his head and sighed. "That's a bad omen, I swear to God."

Lego's of all things. Lego's. Why the hell did he still have those? He was seventeen for crying out loud!

By the time he left his house, saying a quick goodbye to what was left of his family, he took the train to school. The moment he arrived, eyes were on him and mouths were moving. Kuro almost scoffed. Typical. Questions were already being in hushed whispers, not missed by Kuro's good ears.

' _What is_ he _doing here?'_

' _Didn't they expel his ass weeks ago?'_

' _Don't look at him in the eyes. He'll kill you.'_

' _Wait, what are you doing? Don't go near him, he'll beat you to an inch of your life'_

' _Look at him, I bet he's the one who killed his parents.'_

Kuro bit his lip, shaking in anger, trying harder than ever not to run over and snap their necks. Had he not had a change of heart so to speak, he would have. But no. This was his last chance to redeem himself and let the past go. No matter how hard he wanted to wipe them all off the face of the earth.

There was no hefty welcome back, no greetings from any of his peers in the third year, not even a hello from the teacher. Just an order to sit down and work. Not even a question was asked of him. He didn't mind though. The day passed by all the more faster. Lunch came like lightning, and he was left hanging around the vending machines, regretting not asking Yukina to make lunch for him. It was by pure chance that he heard a familiar voice on the other side of the row of vending machines. A real rambunctious, loud voice.

"Man, that beach trip really took a lot outta me." Sakamoto groaned. The vending machines creaked loudly, tipping slightly on Kuro's side. Panicked, he pushed back with just enough force for Sakamoto no to notice, or so he hoped. What the hell was he doing? Doesn't he know not to lean on these damn things?

"I know right? God, I think I still have sand in my hair." A girl complained. He recognized that voice. Ann Takamaki was it? The girl of rumor? What was she doing hanging out with him? Wait, if those two were there, than Akira had to be there too.

"Y'know if Futaba's coming to school anytime soon?" Sakamoto asked. There was no answer. Akira probably just shrugged.

"Hopefully she does soon." Takamaki heaved a sigh. "We worked for ages get her out of her house."

Kurusu scoffed, leaning against the other machine. Kuro stifle a gasp, gulping loudly as the machine tilted. Nope, the heat was definitely not causing him to sweat. What the hell was wrong with them? What the hell was wrong with _him_ for not moving?

"Damn, that Ookami bastard's not letting up. It's getting annoying trying to keep him away." Ryuji said in a low, angry tone. Kuro stiffened at the mention of his name. "I knew we should've have helped him in the Mementos."

… _What?_

"C'mon now, Ryuji-kun." Kuro blinked. Was that was Kurusu sounded like? How did he not have a harem of women around him at all times? "He hasn't done anything to us yet. We might be able to trust him."

"Hmm… I'm sticking with what I said. I still think we shouldn't have changed his heart-"

"I knew it!" Kuro sprang out, nearly landing on all fours, pointing an accusatory finger at the three shocked teens, a gleeful smile on his face. "I knew it, I knew it, I knew it! You had something to do with this, didn't you?"

The three of them just stared at him like he had a full frontal lobotomy and wanted to tell everyone about it. In hindsight, Kuro couldn't blame them. If the kid you were just talking about jumped out at random, uniform charred brown with dirt, with green grass stains in random places, screaming at you, how would you react?

Slowly, Kurusu tilted his head near Sakamoto and whispered loudly, "Where should we hide the body?"

"I dunno, do you think the ground here's shallow enough?" Sakamoto replied all the more louder whisper.

"I am standing _right here_!" Kuro shouted, pointing to the ground beneath him. "And that still doesn't answer my question. What. Did. You. Do?"

A short silence followed. The three of them muttered back and forth, or rather Sakamoto and Takamaki were. Kurusu was standing there and staring at him. Those steel grey eyes of his were unnerving. Kuro felt exposed, that look picking him apart piece by piece. He interrupted the silence surprisingly, jerking his head towards the gate not too far off.

"Come with me."

Takamaki's eyes widened "Akira-kun, what're you-"

"Relax, I'll be fine." With another jerk of his head, Kurusu strolled to the gate, Kuro following suit. The eyes of his friends were no doubt on him. "Alright. Explain to me how you know me?"

Kuro blinked. He was waiting for weeks to get a chance to talk to him face to face, and now that he had a chance his words caught his throat. "W-well… let's see…" He clicked his tongue, wondering just where to start. Kurusu narrowed his eyes expectantly towards him. "Well, for starters, I think you heard of what I did." He said, shame in his voice.

"How could I not?" Kurusu replied. "You did a number on that poor kid. He transferred, didn't he." Kuro ran a hand along his bangs, downcasting his gaze. Back then, he wanted to take his anger out on anything that lived and breathed, especially those even more hard pressed by reality than he was. After several months of bullying him, the poor kid tried to fight back. He was in the hospital for nearly two weeks after that. The scar on Kuro's right knuckle was quite a testament to that.

"I… don't wanna talk about that. But look." He took a deep breath. "My life changed recently. It's hard to describe, but it feels like I had a complete change of heart. I have no idea how, but everytime I think about it, I only see you. You and the rest of your posse. You all have been all I thought about for the longest time, and I wanted to ask you something…"

"Are you coming on to me?" Kurusu deadpanned.

"W-what?" Kuro asked, completely shocked.

"'Cause I don't mind, I'm always up for new things." Kurusu joked, patting him on the shoulder.

"Ugh! I'm trying to be serious!" kuro growled.

"And I'm trying to lighten your mood. I'm not gonna bite your head off, I'm just a normal guy, like you."

Kuro sighed. How can a man make an attitude like that work so well? And with such little effort? Oh well, he might as well up and say it. "Are you a phantom thief?"

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 ** _Well, that was fun to write. Please leave your thoughts and opinions in the reviews. it really helps me out a lot. Thanks, and goodnight._**


	2. Chapter 2: Birth of the Confidant

_**So yeah, the reason I've been gone for over a month? Long story short, family issues, vacation and then burnout. Sorry 'bout that. I'm fine now. Thanks for reading.**_

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"Yes."

Kuro blinked. That was it. The answer he was looking for. The answer that he had spent quite a long time trying to find. All expectation and anticipation was shattered in one fell swoop. And it was given in one of the most deadpan, toneless ways he had ever experienced, courtesy of Akira kurusu, the mystery student of Shujin Academy.

"Yes?" Kuro repeated uncertainty.

"Yes." Kurusu said with an affirmed nod, smiling as if he hadn't just dropped set fire to his expectations, and brutally avicerated them for laughs.

"You're serious?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"No bullshit?"

"No bullshit to be had, my friend." He said, clapping Kuro on his shoulder. "I am a Phantom Thief. As you might imagine, they are too." He said calmly, jerking his head towards his friends, who were caught panicking, and arguing loudly about how hard Kurusu must've hit his head on that last mission, whatever the hell that meant. "Is that all you wanted to know?"

It had occurred to Kuro that Kurusu had just tipped his hat to him so to speak, laying his cards on the table, waiting for Kuro's next move. Challenges and tests were nothing new to him. Finding the ques to them came naturally. Despite what many may think, Kuro was rather level headed when he wanted to be, especially with important decisions. And right now, he was about to make one that could change everything.

The young man could just drop it right now and walk away. An even darker part of him said that he should lord this over them, and blackmail him. That side was promptly kicked in the dick, and left to rot in that ignored part of his brain, where it belonged. No. There was something more he could do. Something better. Something pure. Something that his family may have wanted for him.

"No." Kuro said in a low tone. Kurusu leaned in slightly, fixing his glasses. As nonchalant as he seemed right now, he was hanging on Kuro's every word now. "Look, I'm not gonna act like I've kept track of all the cool shit you all did. I'm not even gonna tell you I fully believe this yet. But whatever you're doing, its working. People are talking about it. People are actually changing for the better now... including me."

Kurusu nodded slowly, waving his hand rather impatiently for him to continue. Pushy ass.

"Whatever you're doing... I want in." Kuro said firmly.

"And it finally comes out." Kurusu said, rolling his eyes. "You know, it would help if you didn't make a speech out of a question."

"So is that a yes?" Kuro asked, glaring at him. Patience never was his strongsuit, especially when he was dealing with an attitude like that.

"That's... where it gets complicated."

"How so?" Kuro asked, brow raised.

"Well, you see, I don't trust you." Kurusu deadpanned, arms crossed.

"Wh-what?" Kuro stammered, nearly slipping off the gate bar that he was leaning on. "What do you mean? I thought you said-"

"I was telling them to be more open and trusting. I didn't say I was gonna follow suit." Something changed in those steel grey eyes of his. Something that made him shrink away slightly. His gaze was normal, charming even, but those revealed power, defiance, pride, and everything in between. There was also a creeping sense of apathy that put the cherry on top.

"Then why the hell did you tell me you're a Phantom Thief?" Kuro demanded.

"Simple. You're a delinquent with a record dating back to grade school. You have a history for lies and abuse towards students that you can never shake off, no matter how much you've changed. Enlighten me, do you think anyone will believe you? I sure as hell wouldn't." Kurusu asked. There it was again. That confident, snarky, confident tone in his voice that drove Kuro up the wall.

"Fine. You've got me there." Kuro murmured, rubbing the back of his head. An old nervous habit that he wanted to break. "So, what do you want from me?"

"I want to make sure I can trust you." Kurusu said, crossing his arms, that gaze sharpening. Could he see sparks coming from that silver-tinted eyes? "Honestly, I don't give a damn what happens to me. You could slander and beat me as much as you want. Look behind me. You see them?"

Kuro tilted his head, looking past him and at the two teens glaring daggers at him. "You mean the two blondes trying to light me on fire with their minds?"

"Yeah, them. They are my main priority, and I want to know if bringing you into this group will affect them in any way. If you're good for them, then we're solid. Hurt any of them…" That gaze became sharper than a sword, threatening to cut into his very soul. Those weren't the eyes a delinquent. They were the eyes of someone with simply nothing to lose and everything to gain. All in all, it still terrified him. "No one will ever find your body."

Kuro nodded furiously. The moment he did, that charming, soft-hearted look in his eyes came back, as if he just shoved a mask back onto his face, changing his persona completely. "Good! Meet me at the station entrance tomorrow after school. Bring your phone. We'll talk more about this there. And, fair advice…" He drew in close, motioning for kuro to do the same. "If cats start talking, you're not insane."

"Just… what?" Kuro asked, brow raised in confusion. Kururu only winked, and walked back to his friends, who were probably chewing him out. Kuro took this opportunity to hightail it out of there as fast as he could.

The rest of the school day passed by like lightning, faster than anything he could believe, but somehow bright and enlightening enough for him to enjoy it. Before he knew it, he was back home, contemplating the day. To his shock, his instincts about the transfer student were right all along. Enigmatic, powerful, wise, brave, charming, he was much more than he ever believed. How people hated him so much over a rumor was anyone's guess.

Kuro shook with a foreign sense of anxiety. Fear and panic were nothing new to him, but this was different. The shuffling in his seat, the ceaseless drumming of his fingers against his bedside table, the chattering of his teeth despite the blazing heat. Everything rang the panic alarm. And yet, he was smiling. Grinning like the fool he was. Things were changing. The monotony that was his life was changing before his very eyes. For some reason, he could just feel it.

Kuro Ookami's entire world was about to change.

A knock on the door made him jump out of his seat. "W-who is it?" Kuro asked shakily, ever the voice of confidence.

"Kuu-kun!" His younger sister huffed on the other end, extending his nickname. "You promised you'd take me out to the arcade!"

For some reason, he heaved a sigh of relief. What was he expecting behind that door? More like, who was he expecting anyway? "Sorry, not now, I got homework to do."

"But Kuu-kun-" Yukina whined, banging on his locked door once again. Wait, when did he lock that? Man, he must really be out of the loop right now.

"Now now, Yuki-chan." Kuro replied. "Go help auntee make dinner. I'll be with you then, 'kay?"

"Okaaaay." She moaned dejectedly. Kuro waited until he couldn't hear her footsteps anymore before he got to business. He unlatched his window, and opened it. After taking a few nervous glances back at his door, he quietly vaulted over it, and landed on the grass below. Thankfully, his room was on the first floor. He closed it carefully, and ran off.

Truth be told, he hated lying. Not just to his little sister, but lying in general. Even back in his delinquent days, it wasn't on the top of his list of favorite traits. Why he was good at it was anyone's guess. But he knew when it was necessary, both for him and his family. He needed to be alone right now. With the evening coming, the city would be falling asleep along with its inhabitants, but just to make sure he would be getting some peace and quiet, he decided to take the train to the quietest, most peaceful place in Tokyo.

The church.

Facing nearly half an hour was on a train ride was worth the amount of peace and quiet he would get. He sent a quick text to his sister and aunt, telling them he had left for a bit to help out some friends at school. No doubt, his loving, somewhat blind aunt couldn't see through his facade, but his sister, as young as she was, could see right through him. A part of him felt bad for making her worry, but she understood that he had other things to do. Hopefully, anyway.

The moment he arrived, he broke into a steady jog, already basking in the cool air, and sweet scents of the garden around him. Nature surrounded it around every corner, marking it as a spot of life above the humdrum of the dull city life. The church was a common place to go to when he was a child. In fact, he hadn't been here since his parents passed away.

While not particularly religious, he did consider himself a believer in a sense, just not in the ways that others did. He knew something was out there, watching him, guiding him, but he had no idea what. And hopefully, what was waiting for him on the other side was peace, but who knew. Whatever the case, being here felt right, and offering a little prayer for the future couldn't hurt either.

He took a deep breath, and pushed the large doors open rather briskly, and silently. No matter though, nearly all the heads had turned to his direction the moment he entered. Feeling quite nervous and shaken, he gulped, frozen in place, staring at all the inhabitants. With a deep breath, he let the door drop behind him, and sat down at the back, farthest to the right, where hopefully no one could see him.

The rustic aura of the church instantly calmed his nerves. Light from the oncoming sunset shined through the intricate stained glass windows, offering a kaleidoscopes worth of color. Wooden seats weren't as uncomfortable as he once thought. Getting used to them was key. Smiling, he leaned back into his seat, and stared at the ceiling, yawning admittedly loudly.

Someone next to him cleared his throat. He straightened himself quickly, and tried to look presentable. "Um, yes?"

"Ookami-kun? Is that you?" He looked up, and recoiled. Standing in front of him was the very priest who baptized him years ago. "I never imagined you would be back, especially with that boy who should not be mentioned."

He flinched. He knew what he was talking about. "He came to you, didn't he?"

"People always come to me when they are troubled. Even more so when they are injured by those they once respected." The priest continued. Kuro bit his lip, heart sinking past his hips. So that was his method. Making him feel that same guilt that flooded him time and time again so that he would leave out of frustration and agony. A common tactic used by people who simply didn't want to deal with the other, but wanted to stay passive about it. A tactic he'd known all to well.

"How is he now?" Kuro croaked, rubbing his knees together.

"I don't know." The priest said, underlying a sort of impatience, although hiding it like a pro. "The poor boy moved a not very long ago. I haven't seen him since. Much like you, actually."

Kuro clicked his tongue, feeling frustration nip away at his patience, just what he wanted. "Is there something you want from me?"

"I don't want anything aside for you to find peace." In other words _, see things my way, and I won't bother you anymore._

"I thought we were long past this."

"Ookami-kun, if you'd simply."

"Thank you, sir."

"Ookami-kun!"

Kuro was already out of his seat, and heading for the door. So much for peace and quiet. The priest simply stared at him, before turning to someone else and talking. Out of sight, out of mind. Even someone with an IQ of ten could figure out he didn't want Kuro to be there. Sometimes, not even a holy belief can make you intolerant, and helpful to all. Go figure.

Nevertheless, he got the hint. No part of him was welcome here, at least with that priest around. Someone who had given up on him a long time ago. He would've been long out the door if he hadn't noticed a strange detail on the last seat, near the exit. A shogi board? Of all things, a shogi board? What the hell was something like that doing here?

Distracted, he didn't notice the person in front of him. Until it was too late that is.

"Ahh!" A sharp cry of surprise was the first thing he heard. Next was the sound of someone's rump hitting the church floor. Kuro blinked. He barely felt a thing. How light was this person?

The person down below was quite a beautiful young woman, about his age actually. Her uniform was kind of unfamiliar, probably from a school far off from his. With her dark, back-length hair, smooth and clean face, lustrous emerald eyes, and rather curvaceous form, he felt like he was looking at an angel rather than a girl. That little ribbon charm tied to the right side of her hair was just the cherry on top. Kuro gulped. She was on her rear, rubbing the back of her head, face scrunched in pain.

"Um… hey. Sorry 'bout that." He said, offering a hand. Once she got a good look at him, she gasped, eyes nearly firing out of their sockets. She stared at his hand as if it would poison her with nothing but a touch. His smile only grew. Typical. Of course she would know who he is. Just like everyone else, she didn't want to have anything to do with him. Before he could pull his hand back, her warm, silky hand closed around his.

Is this happening right now? Dreams don't often happen while he's awake. Unless he pulled a mario and popped a few shrooms accidently, he wasn't crazy. Someone wasn't rejecting him. Or at least he hoped. Maybe he shouldn't get to ahead of himself. "Um, are you going to help me up?" Kuro blinked. Was he standing there, holding her hand.

Well then…

"S-sorry." He said, hoisting her up to her feet. "It's just... " He took a deep breath. "It's been a weird few weeks." She studied him carefully, her eyes exploring his face. Kuro raised a curios brow. "Can I help you?"

She shook her head, and sat down at the far side of the shogi board. With that much affection for it in her eyes, it must've belonged to her. There was something else there to. A means of escape of sorts. He couldn't help it. He wanted to see a smile on that beautiful face.

"Hey uh… wanna play a game?" Kuro asked. Good job, Kuro. That's not creepy in the slightest.

Her eyes widened. "You play?" That voice of hers was so soothing, so clear that it cleared his nerves better than the church ever could.

"I dabble." By dabble, he meant he played a game with his father once or twice when he was seven years old… nearly ten years ago. She cocked her head, brow raised suspiciously. Yeah, he was about as transparent as glass. The smarter, more calculative girl could see right through him. "Okay, not as much as I let on. Being called a beginner may be stressing it."

Her lips pursed. Words didn't come easy for her, it seemed. Analyzing and processing seemed like her style. Not only that, she seemed too nervous to make a move for some reason or another. A part of him said that it was his naturally occuring glare kicking in that was scaring her, but it wasn't fear he saw, it was awkwardness. A pure sense of unfamiliarity. Almost as if he was her first piece of true interaction she had in a long time.

Kuro cleared his throat. "So, can you teach me how to play?"

Her eyes widened, somewhat troubled by his question. After a little bit of processing, her eyes drifted down to the bench below her. "I'm afraid not. I don't think I can teach you."

"Are you sure?" Kuro asked, half-joking. She didn't answer. Her eyes said it all. He sighed, nodding, and turned to the door. "Fine, sorry for bothering you. I'll leave you alone now."

"I can offer a quick game." The girl said.

He stood, unable to react for a bit before ducking down into the seat a little too fast, smashing his tail bone straight onto the backrest. That at least got a snicker out of her. It might have been worth the agony and the cursing. She sat down with him, first piece already in hand, ready to play.

The next few minutes that passed were some of the strangest he had ever experienced, especially with a girl. Twenty minutes in, he had no idea what was going on. Playing shogi wasn't his favorite pastime, and it clearly showed. The girl wasn't just winning, she was absolutely destroying him. Every time she made a move, she slammed her piece down- no, there was barely any force behind it. The pieces she put down made a distinct echoing click that intimidated him. The small, delicate looking girl ahead of him looked more like a titan right now.

There was a fire in her eyes. That smoldering intensity made him shiver. So, this is her game face. "The shining dragon of my empire arrives at your gate. How will you proceed?" She demanded.

… _What?_

"I… uh… guess I'll just move a piece here then." Kuro said slowly, trying to bring his piece to safety.

"Ha! Amature! You ran into the past of my mighty lion! Check!" Hifumi said, placing her piece quickly onto the board.

Kuro cleared his throat uncomfortably. "I… concede?"

"Thank you for the game." She said with a quick bow.

"Same to you." He said, doing the same. "So, that was a thing."

"What are you talking about?" She asked.

"The little piece of dramatic theater you did there. It was kinda fun to be honest." Kuro said with the most sincere smile he could muster.

An embarrassed blush crept onto her cheeks. "I-I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It was pretty different. And different isn't a bad thing." Especially with the amount of joy it gave him, and distraction from the problems he had. "The names Ookami Kuro."

"...Togo Hifumi." She said.

"Say, Togo-chan, could we-" A loud unwelcome ringing filled the church. All eyes turned to him, some surprised, some annoyed, and some straight up infuriated, as if he had did graffiti on a wall with every watching. "Shit, shit shit…" He hissed multiple curses, whipping out his phone, and silencing it. He looked at the screen, cocking a brow. Since when did people text him? His aunt hated texting, and he wasn't sure Yukina had anything to text him with.

" _Yo, check your phone!"_ -Akira Kurusu.

Kuro's blood ran cold, completely at a loss for words. All he do was text back almost a minute later. _"Okay, how the hell did you get my number?"_

" _Check. Your. Phone."_

Not a good answer for his question. Kuro sighed. He may as well humor him, and demand an answer tomorrow. Going back to his home menu, he was about to put it away before he saw something that shouldn't have been there. A large red app just at the bottom of his screen. He furrowed his brows. Did he put that there? He would've remembered downloading an app, right?

With a small shrug, he deleted the app, and turned to Hifumi with a smile. "Sorry, gotta go. Thanks for the game, Togo-chan. See you around?"

"Wait!" She said suddenly, stopping him dead in his tracks.

"What is it?" He asked.

"You do know me, right?" Togo asked. That look in her eyes… it was like she expecting news that she'd heard millions of times before.

"Well, now I do." Kuro said.

"Now you do? You didn't know me before?" Togo asked, brow raised.

"Should I?"

"Um, no! It's fine, sorry, and yes, I will see you later." Togo said, waving him off. With a two fingered salute, Kuro ran off, hoping to catch a train home, the mysterious app far from his mind. Unbeknownst to him, the app returned to his phone immediately afterwards, along with a small, growl-like laugh that came from it…

 _Soon… you won't be helpless anymore._

 _ **I Am Thou, Thou Art I.**_

 _ **Thou Hast Created A New Vow.**_

 _ **It Shall Become The Wings Of Rebellion That Breaketh Thy Chains Of Captivity.**_

 _ **With The Birth Of The Savior Persona, I Have Obtained The Winds Of Blessing That shall Lead To**_

 _ **Freedom And New Power.**_

* * *

 _ **And the torch is set. The confidant has been decided! Please review your thoughts. See ya!**_


	3. Chapter 3: Society's True Face

_**And thus, the next thrilling instalment of an idiot who wants to be a Phantom Thief. Hope you enjoy!**_

* * *

The train had long since left Kuro behind. he sighed, watching it pass wistfully, secretly wishing that he'd taken it home. Leaning against the railing of the passageway to the subway, he relaxed against it, staring at the sky. The smoke from the cigarette area was starting to bother him, forcing a cough out occasionally. People bumped by him as if he weren't even there, getting about their daily lives as if he didn't exist.

Two hours had gone by before he arrived at the meeting point. Nearly an hour had gone by since he declared himself mentally unstable for waiting such a long time to begin with. Trying to decide whether to leave or not, he checked his phone periodically to check if that mysterious app was still there. Whenever he did, a small smile crept to his face when he saw Hifumi's name in his number log.

Asking Akira how he got his number yielded barely any feasible result. He simply said that it was in his records, and that that he asked Makoto Niijima, the student council president and leading GPA student of his grade, who somehow was a close friend of his, to get it for him. Then again, he didn't recall putting his cell in any records. He didn't even know his own damn number. When he told him about the app, he just blankly at him, then grinned.

"You just might be a keeper." Kurusu said, pride gleaming in his face.

"I'm sorry, what now? Hey, get back here!" Kuro tried to reach him, only to be crowded by students after Ryuji shouted that he was hiding several meals worth of Yakisoba that he was willing to share. Rotten little prick…

The clock on his wristwatch hit four. The meeting time was half and hour ago. Sighing, he shoved his phone back into his pocket only for his arm to be grabbed. His first instinct was to rear back his fist, prepped for a wicked punch until he saw Akira's blake slate face. "Now, now, are you sure you wanna hit a guy with glasses?" He said smoothly.

"Only if they piss me off." Kuro muttered, offering his reared fist. Akira smiled, bumping his fist. "Took you awhile, Kurusu-kun. You might wanna work on your timing."

"Oh, I was here entire time. I just decided to check out the underground mall with Ann for quite a bit." Kurusu said with a nonchalant shrug. Kuro sucked in a breath. Just take it easy there, Kuro. Just hear him out, _then_ punch the daylights out of him for wasting his afternoon.

"This had better be good." Kuro said in a low tone, crossing his arms. Kuro then noticed that no one else was with him, which surprised him more than anything. "so , where are your friends?"

"They're around here somewhere. We're heading out without them, though. They looked a little bit unenthusiastic about leaving with us today." Kurusu said, uncomfortably rubbing the back of his head.

"Yeah, go figure." Kuro muttered. "So what hell are we doing?"

"Watch." Kurusu said, his signature grin coming to his face. It just looked so sly that he wanted to punch him, but knew he wouldn't get the chance. "Hold out your phone, and click on that app." Kuro did as he was told, waiting anxiously. "Alright, now repeat after me." He cleared his throat. "From the depths of Hades to the shining heavens above, I summon you, Persona! Shout it!"

"U-uh- From the depths of Hades to the shining heavens above, I summon you, Persona!" He cried, pumping out his fist, feeling rather stupid. And stupid it was, as not only did nothing happen, he got quite the variety of stares from onlookers. Kurusu's grin grew wider. Kuro didn't even have to guess why.

"Whoa, I admire the passion, but would you mind calming down? You're embarrassing yourself." He mused, wagging his finger at him. Weird. Kuro's eyes weren't meant to twitch like that, right?

"Why you little-"

"Ah, ah, ah! To Mementos!" Kuruso said confidently.

Just like that, reality itself seemed to warp around him on a massive scale. Droning, pulsating sounds echoed through the air, making him shake and rattle. Sparks and spirals of red and black drifted around him, slowly changing the world around him with each throb. Tilestone and concrete cracked and deformed, metal corroding and twisting around them. The people disappeared, becoming mere unmoving shadows, stuck in place.

Kuro sat, mouth agape, eyes refusing to blink. He was a little scared to breathe due to the thinning air that carried an odd current of red. Ripe with crimson static and disruption, fraught with pressure that tried and failed to crush him. The subway entrance was completely black, with living, breathing shadows billowing from its frame, like a dark mist. Fighting his way to his feet, he braced himself against the entrance, gasping for breath.

"What… what the hell did you put in my coffee?" He rasped, completely stunned. There was no answer. "Kurusu-kun, stop messing around, where are you?" He asked. "Um… Marco?... Marco? Hey, it's the law, you asshole, you have to say Polo!"

Akira Kurusu was nowhere in sight. He had simply vanished like the wind. After calming himself down, he drew in everything from his surroundings. Everything was twisted and contorted in such a degree that he had trouble accepting whatever he was seeing. Still, he wasn't getting anywhere just standing there. The first place to start would probably be that subway, no matter how terrifying it looked. Working up the nerve, he stepped into the bleak subway, feeling quite a chill running down his spine.

Walking down the steps, he tensed, bracing for whatever came. The train station below was strangely normal all things considered. Dark, dirty, and degraded, no trains were meeting the gate tonight. Red and black veins lined the concrete walls along with the random electrical cords that dangled every which way he looked. Kuro nearly gagged. Were those veins pulsating? Biting back the urge to vomit, he stood at the gate, still thinking that he must've been coming down with some weird-as-hell high.

"So, it looks like nothings changed, eh?" Kuro muttered.

"Eh, I'd say so." Kurusu said, tapping his shoulder. Naturally, he jumped up so high that he could've given God a high five. "Glad to see you made it okay. Sorry, I tend to start off somewhere else whenever I come here."

"You… you…" Kuro seethed, clutching his escalating heart. No words came to mind. Only insults that ran through his head over and over again. Maybe if he stared at him hard enough, he'd burst into flames. It nearly worked for Takamaki, and Sakamoto, right? "Just… tell me what you did. And what the hell are you wearing?"

That truly was something beyond anything Kuro had ever seen outside of some glorified, vintage spy movie with his ankle length black tailcoat and matching gold-accented waistcoat, and dark pants, with black and brown tipped shoes. The mask on his face reminded Kuro of a bird, stretching naught but over his eyes. The air of confidence was so much more pronounced now, so much so that their underlined a permanent smug glimmer in his eyes, penetrating through you as he casually pulled the bottom of his red gloves.'

"Easy." He said. "I brought you to Mementos."

"The freshmaker?" Kuro quipped nervously.

"Don't even…" Kurusu commanded, hand raised in annoyance. "I've had enough jokes from Ryuji on that regard. Whose ever bright idea it was to give him access to the internet needs to shot." Kuro cocked a brow. That had to be the first real amount of annoyance he had ever seen from him. "This place is the representation of everyone's hearts. Everyone in the world, except us. This is where we are most of the time, picking up the pieces of what life and society leaves behind, stealing hearts. Consider us, thieves if you will."

Kuro let his eyes wander around the platform. The people, the shadows twitching about, some moving along as if not affected by the hell around them, and others stuck in place, staring endless at the void. Some sat, staring at the ground, sobbing silently, unable to make a sound. A sickening feeling of dread filled him. Watching them drift along hopelessly, without any kind of rest or reassurance, he felt kind of connected to them. Not even a few hours ago, he was one of those shadows waiting to fade away.

"You're telling me that… this is all of us? All of our hearts in one?" Kuro asked in quiet shock. Kurusu nodded solemnly, no doubt feeling Kuro's heavy emotions. "Why then? Why's it so dark and twisted down here? It's like some sick gods tour of hell."

"That's just the truth around us, I guess. Society's darker than it appears." Kurusu said, brushing his hair back uneasily. "You don't see much without looking for it. Even when it's all around you." With a small wave of his hand, he beckoned Kuro forward. "C'mon. There's still a lot for your to see."

Nodding, he walked on into the distance, each part of the subway looking more and more sickening and destroyed. No more silhouettes came to greet them. The tracks tread on like spiders web, sometimes spiraling along different passageways. About half of an hour before they both knew it. Akira carried on like a soldier, passing by every strange anomaly as if it weren't there at all. Probably due to how much time he spent in here.

"How long have you been at this?" Kuro asked.

"I think since… April? May? Somewhere around that time." Kurusu replied idly.

"Wow. Two months and I never… what the hell is that thing?" Kuro asked, only slightly perturbed. In front of them was quite a large gathering of green slime that shone random colors as if it were being filtered through a kaleidoscope. Was that a face that was the equivalent of gleaming red polka dots with a giant hole through the middle? Why not. Suspension of disbelief had nailed in the head already, so what was there left to be surprised about?

The puddle of a monster wasn't doing much. Maybe it didn't know they were there. How did that thing even see through those red gems it called eyes anyway? "That's what we call a slime. There's not much to them. Their walking puddles of ink anyway. Here…" To Kuro's shock, the Phantom Thief pulled out quite a hefty pitch-black kogatana, and tossed it into Kuro's hands, which he instantly dropped to the floor. "You were meant to catch that, y'know."

"If I just up and tossed a sharp object at you, I'd like to see you catch it without the panic." Kuro growled, picking it up, and inspecting the blade. Pleasingly sharp, and incredibly well balanced, there was no doubt in his mind that great care was put in its use. Where would someone like Akira get something like this? Still, it didn't feel right. It just wasn't his kind of weapon. "So what, do I just stab it?"

"No, actually. I wanted you to keep it to defend yourself in case I miss." He took a deep breath, planting his hand against his own chest. "Ravage them, Arsene!"

A ferocious torrent of azure flames spiraled around the young thief. A strangled swear flew out of Kuro's mouth, the force of the blaze pushing him onto his rear, scrabbling away from the burning intensity, careful not to slit his palm with the knife. Fighting to keep his eyes open from the spinning bout of blue and white, he raised his hand up, calling Akira's name.

Sprouting from each side of the flames were two large feathered wings, covering the ground with plumes of obsidian. A face reminiscent to a jackolantern overlayed by a pure black face, appeared through the flames. With one strong flap of his wings, the flames extinguished, revealing what was underneath. An unbelievably tall man wearing a red tailcoat, white frilled black waistcoat, red pants, and shoes that looked more like talons.

It cast its hand out, and shadows trailed through the floor around it. Missing Kuro completely, they ended up under the slime before erupting into an explosion of fiery shadows, accompanied by a evil smiling face over it. The slime was enveloped and was no more within a few seconds. Arsene and the flames left after that, leaving Akira standing their with a cocky smile.

"A little overkill, using Maeigaon on that thing, but whatever works." Kurusu said, stretching out his back. A wicked grin split his face. "So, have I caught your interest now?"

Kuro blinked. "I want it. I want… whatever that was."

"Later. You look a little overloaded at the moment though." Kurusu observed. Kuro wondered what he meant, then realized just how frazzled he actually felt. Shaking from both fear and anticipation, he was coated in sweat. "We'll come back later when we've got everyone. Maybe we can unlock your persona as well."

"How'd you guys unlock yours?" Kuro asked.

"Well…" Kurusu tapped his chin. "We all got ours in different ways, and for different reasons. You'll find a way, trust me." He offered his hand to Kuro, a smile on his face. "Welcome to the team, Kuro-kun."

Kuro blinked. Okay, first names it is then. "Thanks for having me, Akira-kun."

The walk back wasn't the hard part. Wrapping his head around what he just saw would take a few days to adjust, if not more. He was completely mush after the crazy shit he just saw. That mush was carried with him as he walked into the door not once, not twice, but four times, forgetting that doors were meant to open.

"Auntee, someones at the door!" He heard Yukina shout from inside.

"I hear you, I hear you, get away from the door." His aunt replied, opening the door just a tad so that only Kuro was in view. Her eyes widened when she found the state that he was in. "Oh my goodness, what on earth happened to you? Are you high again?"

Kuro cringed. Does she always have to bring up is old, forgotten habits? "No, I promised that'd never happen again, remember? I'm just… tired." Stumbling past her, he walked straight up to his room, greeted his sister who stood at it briskly before closing the door and ignoring the rest of the world. Laying on his bed, he nearly melted through it, eyes unable to stay open.

Today was beyond anything he had come to expect. Society's true face was not something to be gawked at. How they continued on through that hell-hole was anyone's guess. Akira might just have been the strongest man he ever knew, aside from his own father. The world could learn a thing or two from him. Kuro on the other hand, had a lot of work to do. The first step was trying to gain his persona, and see what that world may have in store for him.

Placing the back of his hand on his forehead, he nearly passed out for the night until his phone rang. He blinked a few times in surprise. A person calling him? The only person who had his number aside from his family was…

Eyes firing open, he shot over to his bedside table so hard and fast that he toppled over the side of the bed, flailing on the floor with the phone barely in grip. Cursing and groaning, he stared at his screen. Loe and behold, Hifumi's name was on the log. He mashed the button excitedly, placing it to his ear. "H-Hello?" He grunted.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Ookami-kun, did I wake you?" Togo asked, concerned. A wide grin spread on his face. Even on the phone she sounded like an angel. Quite fitting he'd come to meet her in a church of all places.

"No, no, I just got back home. Something wrong?" Kuro asked.

"Not really, I needed someone to speak to before my match." Togo said. He narrowed his eyes. Why she so quiet? Her voice was barely over a whisper, as if she were trying to hide. "How's your day been?"

Kuro nearly laughed. "Boring as heck. Did homework, chores, kick the neighbors dog for tearing my pants, the usual mess."

"Heh, if only." She said something else, but he couldn't catch it.

"Togo-chan, would you mind speaking up? I didn't catch that." Kuro asked.

"I can't or-"

"Hey! Who are you talking to?" A voice shouted in the background.

"Oh no, Kuro-kun, I have to go, goodnight." The phone call dropped before he had a chance to say goodnight back to her. Wait a minute… did she just use his first name? Even if by accident, his heart skipped a beat. He best not get too ahead of himself now, though. It might've just been a slip of the tongue, but oh well. That thirty second call was already the highlight of his day.

He tried to tug himself back into bed, but eventually gave up, and tugged the covers down onto his body, drifting off to a dreamless sleep.

* * *

 _ **Thank you for reading. Some of you may be wondering why he doens't just get his persona yet. I just want him getting his persona to actually mean something instead of getting it from fighting a green penis of all things, which was actually the original idea. Go figure.**_

 _ **Please review, and see ya later!**_


	4. Chapter 4: The Fear of Reality

Kuro let the days pass him by, barely keeping track. Maybe a week had gone by. Two perhaps. Forget it. Time didn't matter much anyway. Not in Mementos. Time spent there didn't matter much. It was always inconsistent. He could spend an hour there, starting at three in the afternoon, and end up back in his world nearing midnight. He could leave in the evening time and somehow end up back a few hours later to find out only about two seconds had gone by. One thing was consistent though. How much it exhausted him.

Every night, he would arrive home at whatever time that Mementos was merciful enough to send him home, and crash into his bed, never even taking off his clothes. School had gone from being a complete slog to an afterthought. Grades were kept up, just barely, but his focus was elsewhere. Why he was going so much was obvious. Mementos was just the escape from reality he needed. How ironic that the true face of reality ended up being his hiding place.

Today was no different. Drifting along the train tracks, swirling haze, and bleak tunnels, he shifted from shadow to shadow like an alley cat. Living the life of a street rat had taught him many things. How to hide in plain sight. How to steal right from under someone's nose. How to lie, how to cheat, how to run. How to fight. It had all come in pretty useful. The monsters never saw him flit by. Those who did were too far or slow to catch him.

A towering giant of a monster, known as a shadow before you are spotted, was around the corner. Kuro didn't need to sense it. He just had a certain feel for them. He couldn't see them around the corner, or hear them surprisingly, but he could just feel them, like a noticeable change in temperature. He took a deep breath waiting for it to turn. As it slowly did, he slid behind it, taking off before it noticed him.

Another corner. Dead end. "Shit." He hissed, already feeling exhausted from the amount of hours he's spent in there already. Footsteps echoed behind him. He pursed his lips, almost afraid to turn around.

"Found you." A gravelly, booming voice sang.

"Good job. Want a cookie?" Kuro fired back, slowly turning to face the shadow. He raised a brow. "Can you even eat?"

"Little shit…" it growled, a vortex of black and red flames swirling around it. When the flames died, a slime took its place, glaring at him.

"Look who's talking." Kuro scoffed. He bit his lip. Bravado wasn't getting him anywhere. Beating a hasty retreat was probably his best option. Ducking down, he raced to the side of the slime, hoping to sidestep it. A large, moist tentacle slapped against his chest, taking his breath away, sending him flying a good ten feet. He hit the track hard, the back of his head bashing against metal.

Pain. Heaping amounts of it creeping up his entire body. Black and white spots popped in and out of his vision. He fought past it, bursting to his feet, stumbling against the wall, clutching his bruised left arm. Blinking the tears out of his eyes, he crouched, bracing his palms to the ground, ready to charge. He broke into a sprint again, ready to push through the slime. He rammed straight into its front, oozing through it, surprising it. The slime regenerated soon afterwards, more confused than hurt, but Kuro was too far away to care.

The resting point was closer than he realized. The second he clambered up to the platform, he was already screaming 'home' into his phone. Deep crimson and black waves swept across the reality around him, distorting everything. Soon, he found himself back in back in the empty subway area. The clock on his phone read twelve-seventeen. He sighed, easing himself into the bench, gasping for air.

Another day spent in Mementos, and he wasn't any closer to discovering anything about it. Getting his persona seemed almost out of his reach too. He'd been at this for two weeks now, and was still no closer. Akira and the other Phantom Thieves hadn't contacted him much over that time. Either that, or he hadn't bothered to seek them out. If he could get this 'Persona', then maybe he'd try. He just didn't want to be dead weight like he was with Akira back then.

He trudged his way back home, barely able to keep his eyes open. Both his sister and aunt were already asleep. Lucky him. He didn't want to deal with either tonight. Morning came seconds later, and with that, school, which passed by almost just as fast. Another school day gone. Now, to continue his loathed monotony. Get to the train station. Go to Mementos. Walk around a bit until he gets his ass kicked. Come back home a broken mess.

But he found he could take a step outside his school gate.

Kids passed by him, one by one, on their way home. Some glanced over at him, mostly in disdain, disgust or fear, while he sat cross legged against the gate, daydreaming. Comments were made but he didn't bother to listen. A drop of rain splashing onto the tip of his nose brought him back to reality.

He was afraid. No, more like helpless. Physically, mentally, he was a the top of his game. Mementos required something else. Something he couldn't hope to have. Sad part was that not even he knew what it was. For the first time, he didn't want to go back in, whether to escape or not. His head drooped, rain dripping from his black locks. The rain spread a black shadow around the street. A clatter next to him, followed by a scream managed to garner his attention.

"Oh no, why now?" A high-pitched girl cried. Kuro raised a brow. Who on earth would be dumb enough to be in school after hours? Is it that stuffy class president again? God help him if it was.

"Make my day a little worse why don't you." He muttered, standing up. Maybe if he made it out the gate in time, nobody would notice. When he turned around though, he didn't see the prissy, uptight president. Who he saw was another third year girl with curly, almost frilly auburn hair, brown eyes, and probably the most innocent, naive, and almost dream-like face he'd seen in his life.

What was she doing? Pushing a wheelbarrow full of fertilizer presumably uphill towards the school. In the rain no less. Certainly the smartest decision in her life, no doubt. The poor girl was straining herself, cheeks puffed out, red faced, and grunting. There was just no leverage to work with. She was sliding down more than she was pushing up.

Now a gentlemen would offer to help. A decent human being would push it up for her. Kuro just didn't cut it. Chivalry was almost dead to him. What have the other girls in this school done aside from mock him, beat him down, make him wish he didn't exist along with reality in general. They turned his stomach, making him want to be the one to burn it all down and never look back. Why not give the same in return.

There was a loud squeak the moment he turned around. A shrill scream followed afterwards. He clenched his teeth, swore fervently, and let his body do the work his mind screamed for it not to. The girl was halfway down the hill before Kuro managed to get her. Still gripping the handles for dear life, her shoes slid down the concrete ramp, threatening to give way under her, eyes and mouth wide in shock. Kuro nearly tripped twice on the moistened concrete.

With one good precise lunge, he grabbed the handlebars just over her hands. She cried out in surprise. Being fast enough to take hold of the bars was one thing. Bracing the weight of the wheelbarrow was something else entirely. His shoes barely survived, nearly sliding off entirely at the soles. It took a little bit of pushing, and a lucky find of a dry spot somewhere along the ground, but he managed to hold the wheelbarrow still long enough to put the brakes on.

Who knew you could sweat in the rain. Kuro certainly didn't. The shaking and muscle aches? Par for the course. The girl at least looked happy to see him, relatively speaking. "Fight against the rain to get up a ramp? Don't you have anything better to do?" Kuro muttered gravelly.

"Um, it's for the school." the girl said in a soft-spoken tone. Fingers twiddling with the bangs of her hair? Eyes avoiding his like their the plague? Yep. No doubt the bravest forward speaking soul he'd ever come across.

"School she says." Kuro muttered sarcastically. If she heard him, she didn't say anything. If anything, she bowed her head to him in thanks before trying again. Kuro raised a brow. The persistence on this girl was astounding. "You're going at it again?"

"Of course… I am." She grunted, barely placing the wheel over the ramp threshold. "Promised to… fertilize… before… the day… ugh."

"Fighting an uphill battle against the rain? Are you sure that's a good idea?" Kuro asked dully.

"Have to… at least… try!"

Kuro sighed. "You know what else might help?" he reached out and pulled out the lock on the brake. What came next was something that anyone with half a brain cell would've have known would happen. So naturally, it flew right over his head.

Another squeak. Another Shriek. A body was flung back into his chest, knocking him to the floor, taking the wind out of him. When the spirals in his vision went away, he looked down at the soaking wet girl below him, frowning. He raised his hands in surrender. "Hey, in my defense, at least I was smart enough take off the break."

"You couldn't wait?" She demanded. Kuro almost scoffed. That high-pitched, serene voice was not meant for anger. In hindsight though, maybe he should've warned her ahead of time.

Kuro shrugged. "At least I know what to do and what not to do with a freakin' wheelbarrow. Seriously, you don't need a major in physics to know not to push something heavy up a slippery slope. Something tells me you don't science well."

A creeping chill made it up Kuro's spine, coming out of his mouth as a sneeze. The rain was starting to get to him. Getting a cold today wasn't on his agenda. "Will you get off me?" He snapped, all but pushing her off of his chest. The girl, even streaked with mud and rain, probably exhausted from the difficult school day, still wasn't keen on giving up. Sniffing, she gripped the handle again, but Kuro had enough. "Just move over."

Kuro knew he wasn't the nicest guy around. Not even the shift in his reality could change that. But there were still things he couldn't bare to see. Watching a girl struggle, almost to the point of crying, was pretty high on that list. Gently pushing her aside, he gripped the handles once again. He ran through a mental checklist. Plant feet firmly. Lean into the weight. Grip firmly. Push off are hard as you can after that. All in all, he still barely had any idea if he was doing it right.

With enough effort, and more somewhat dry spots that he was lucky enough to find, the wheelbarrow made it to the top of the ramp. When he let go of the handles, he grunted in pain at a dull throb in his back. No doubt he was feeling that tomorrow.

"Thank you for your help." The girl said, wiping the streaks off her face with a handkerchief.

"Don't mention it." He replied, leaning against the wet wall, forgetting it was wet at all. He sighed. Nope, It was fine. Who needed dry clothes anyway?

The girl squinted at him, trying to get a good look at him. Her eyes widened. Kuro clicked his tongue, knowing what was coming next. "You're Ookami Kuro, right?"

"What gave it away?" Kuro asked thickly.

"Your face. You always look so angry." she speculated, finger to her chin.

"Oh for crying out loud, this is my face! How many times do I have to tell people that! Perma-scowl is pretty common y'know!" Kuro blinked, trailing off. What on earth was he doing defending himself? Sounding like a child getting his toy taken away didn't help much either. Even so, it did manage to get a small giggle out of her, albeit an uneasy one. She periodically shifted where she stood, unable to meet his eye.

"Sorry, please forgive me. Mona-chan's description of you was spot on, I must say." she stammered, trying to correctly position herself. It was clear that she was uncomfortable being around him. Not much of a reason to blame her really. Still, it looked a little deep rooted, almost like she was hiding something from him.

"Who the hell is Mona-chan?" Kuro demanded. "And how does she- you know what? Forget it. I've done my good deed for the day, I'm heading home. Ciao." Normally, ditching girls in the rain wasn't something he'd do, although today of all days took any part of being a gentlemen out of him. Mementos was still dug so deep into his head like a tick, dragging his mood down. His escape wasn't looking very good anymore.

"But wait I-"

"Don't bother, Haru-chan. This Ookami kid's not worth our time."

A tick went off in Kuro's jaw. Not worth their time? He did a perfect about face, glaring at this 'Haru' girl, trying to find whatever child just said that. "Now you listen here. I… who said that?" Blinking blankly, he glanced around, but couldn't find another person in sight. Haru looked at him in surprise. Did she think he was crazy? He sighed. "I knew it. I going crazy."

"Wait a minute, you can hear me?" There was that voice again. That childlike, condescending voice. Once again, no one in sight.

"Crazy. Bonkers. Bananas." He muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose with his eyes tightly shut.

"Will you shut up, I'm trying to say something important here!"

Wait a minute, when did a black cat get here? There was no cat sitting on the concrete post next to him a few seconds ago. "Insane. Cracked. In need of therapy."

"You aren't crazy, you damn idiot!" The cat screamed at him. Kuro shut up right after that, eyes wide as dinner plates. The cat was talking. That black little kitty was… _talking._ He scrubbed his eyes, wondering if what he saw was a hallucination. Nope, still there. Then there was only one thing for it. He dug his phone out and dialed the first number that came to mind.

"Hello, this is the Tokyo Mental Health Directory, how may we be of assistance?" the nice lady on the other end asked. Haru and the cat gaped at him, more shocked by how plain his expression was.

"Yeah, uh, do you offer tours to any of the local rubber ro- hey, give that back, that's mine!" He shouted at Haru, who swiped his phone, hanging it up.

"What's the matter with you?" She squeaked, staring at him like he's grown a second head.

"That, my friend, is the question of the ages. Oh, where do I begin?" he dramatically placed a hand on his chin. "Well, I spent most of my life being hated for being a 'delinquent' as they put it, only for me to recently be magically fixed by a four-eyed casanova that just popped into our school from bumfuck nowhere. Two weeks ago, I got shot into the trippy-as-hell true face of reality, and shown some awesome creature called a Persona that I might have too. I spent the last two weeks going to said world and getting the shit kicked out of me for being to curious. And now, I'm screaming like a madman in the rain, at _talking fucking cat!"_

And thus, he had finally lost it. It surprised him how fast it took. With the true face of reality creeping in on him, the lack of Persona despite the effort he put in, and the current situation that he was put under, things wore on him faster than he ever thought it would. How Akira managed this for this long was beyond him. God, he needed a drink.

"That's what I'm trying to say! You shouldn't be able to hear me if you're a normal person." The black cat said impatiently.

"Gee, ya think?" Kuro cried, out of breath for some reason.

"You've been to Mementos, right?"

Kuro blinked. "Y-yeah. How'd you… are you from Mementos?"

"Truth be told, I don't know. That's where I woke up. I can't remember anything before that." The cat said sadly. Kuro sighed. That would be the case, wouldn't it. Fine. No answers today then. "I do have something else that might be interesting to you."

"And that would be?"

"Tell me, have you ever seen a Palace before?"

* * *

 _ **And thus, our new Thief makes some friends early. Tell me what you guys think, and I'll see you guys next time.**_


	5. Chapter 5: Bloodlust

_**For those who don't know, I am setting a schedule for myself. I will update ALL my stories once a month. This is due because of family issues. Thanks for understanding. Sorry for the wait, and please enjoy.**_

* * *

Okumura Food Headquarters.

The building owned by the man who carelessly, and inadvertently, took his parents life. Kuro felt an unbelievable urge to burn that entire skyscraper to the ground. How a fast food conglomerate could spawn such a large building To him, fast food was fast food. Vein-clogging, heart-stopping, fat-making food made specifically for convenience. Not really his cup of tea, which is why it still confused him to this day why his parents decided to work there.

Periodically, workers would walk out, some smoking cigarettes, watching the smoke drift away blissfully, with others walking out to lunch with some of the most gaunt, lifeless faces he'd ever seen. Clearly, these workers scarcely saw the light of day. The only spot of color were smudges of dirt on their faces or uniforms. Some didn't look like they had any sleep. No lives to live of their own, just basic cogs in a grand scale machine that can be replaced with ease. They all reeked of onions, grime and oil.

Staring at the building made him sick. Made him want to tear it all down with his bare hands. Teeth grit, fingernails dragging brutally against his crossed arms, he kept his mouth shut, fearing the words he would scream out at random. Kunikazu Okumura could be in there right now, staring at him through the security cameras, jeering at his helplessness. Why Haru wanted him to stand here and wait was beyond him. Wherever she was, she certainly had some explaining to do.

A sharp bump against his shoulder roused him out of his thoughts. He glared at the back of the well-dressed, ginger haired man who strolled past him without acknowledging his existence. What a way to boost his already declining mood. The constant on and off rain from the overcast sky didn't help much either. A tap on his shoulder earned the brunt of his fury.

"What?" He demanded angrily, spinning around. His face softened when he saw Haru, eyes wider than dinner plates, hand hovering awkwardly over his shoulder. He sighed. "What took you so long? I've been standing here for an hour."

"I… well…" She murmured, fidgeting nervously. "That man that passed you. I was just hoping to avoid him."

"Ah." Was all Kuro said, staring nearly apathetically at the building again. "So, I never got your last name. You mind telling me?"

"N-no!" She squeaked a little too quickly.

Kuro narrowed his eyes. "Now, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you have something to hide from me."

Haru was silent, staring at him fearfully. "Its… its… Okumura."

Kuro blinked. "Is that so."

She cleared her throat. "Um, being the CEO's daughter, I went through my employee records, because Mona-chan wanted to find some information." Her voice trailed off, looking away from Kuro. He remained stoic, albeit jaw slightly clenched. "Your parents worked here. Kirin Ookami, a desk worker, and Daito Ookami, a factory worker."

"Mm hmm." Kuro grunted.

She bowed her head. "Kuro-Kun, I cannot begin to apologize for-"

"Don't. You aren't responsible, and I know you're trying to help me. You don't need to be so scared around me." Kuro said reassuringly, planting a gentle hand on her shoulder. She smiled at him. "Alright, cat, what do you want from me?"

"We were both wondering if you'd want some catharsis, if you will." The Cat said slowly, trotting along the gatepost. "A way to get back at that man who ruined your life."

"... Go on." Kuro said with a slight hint of impatience.

"We'll explain a bit more when we get there. We just need you to get your phone out." Mona-chan said.

"Whatever you say, talking cat." Kuro replied, still trying to grasp the situation he's been put in. Mona-chan hissed angrily at him, taking a swipe that missed by a mile.

"I'm not a cat, you thug." He yowled.

"I'm not a thug, you furry shitbag." Kuro retorted, equally angry.

"Just wait, the moment we get to cognitive world, I'll cut you in half!" Mona-chan yowled, crouching and pouncing in Kuro's direction. Catching him deftly with practiced hands, he dangled his captive at arms length. Mona-chan swiped helplessly at him, screaming absurdities.

"G-guys! We don't have time for this!" Haru spoke up, grabbing Kuro's shoulder. He sighed, and dropped the cat.

"You're right. It's best for little Felix here not to get his whiskers in a knot. This is my only uniform, and the last thing I need are hairballs on it." Kuro snarked, smirking at the insults that Mona-chan fired back. "So, Haru-chan, what are we gonna do?"

"As I said before, pull out form, and press the Mementos app. I'll take care of the rest." Haru said, fishing out her own phone and doing the same. Kuro reluctantly obeyed, curious as all get out.

With a press of a button, reality itself warped around him casting waves of black and crimson. Sounds drowned themselves out, with others slowing to accommodate. The environment vanished around him, shifting and twisting in tight pools, taking shape slowly. Okumura Food Headquarters drifted away, like a mirage in a desert, being replaced by a nothing but stark white, which soon began to darken. This feeling felt much different from his other trips in Mementos, but he couldn't' place why.

Once the clutter had disappeared, forming into a new environment, Kuro was shocked. There were no train tracks, or bleak, burning hallways covered in a black haze. Instead, Kuro found himself in a odd looking room out of the cover of a sci-fi magazine. Metal walls lined with circuitry, two separate control panels lined symmetrically against a large automatic door that resembles a large metal plate. Blindingly bright ceiling lights illuminated the room.

Staggering about confusedly, he traced his hands around the walls, stopping as soon as he felt an abnormally large and thick window. Kuro froze the moment he saw outside. To any young or untrained eye, that wouldn't looked like the night sky, littered with stars, but there was no ground below. No, at the bottom, if he could even call it that, was the Earth, just floating nonchalantly as if he hadn't just had his ass kicked off of its surface.

Kuro blinked once. Twice. He rubbed his eyes. Nope, still there. It was official. "I'm in space." He clarified.

"That you are, thug." Mona-chan said condescendingly.

"I'm in space…"

"You just said that. Are you broken already?" Haru asked curiously. "I realize it takes some getting used to, but-"

"I'm in space."

"Kuro-kun." Haru firmly said. "Please refrain from repeating yourself."

Kuro blinked one more time before turning to Haru, staring blankly. Space was just outside the window, and this girl was taking it in stride. After a bit of adjustment, compared with the outrageous things he put up with lately, he found he could too. Haru's bizarre french thief style suit, pink tights and black mask didn't faze him as much as he thought it would. What he wasn't prepared for was whatever the hell happened to that damn cat.

Mona-chan had grown an inch, or five, standing upright and proper. Its head had grown quite large, with its eyes even larger. A handkerchief hung loosely around its throat. Behind it's back was a rather big slingshot and scimitar with a wicked gleaming edge. Kuro suppressed a gulp. That stupid cat might just have its revenge after all. "Could you just… explain… please?" Kuro asked in a breathy tone, not fully finished grasping his situation.

"Sorry, newbie, forgot. The veterans always have to show the novices the ropes." the cat said, puffing out what little chest it had. Kuro growled. He swore he was gonna stab it, gut it, and wear it before the day was over. "This is a Palace. In the cognitive world, Palace's represents our distorted desires. They distort the world around them, harming themselves and the people around them."

"So, what you're saying is, we're in someone else's sick, sadistic fantasy." Kuro cut in, trying to align the pieces together.

"More or less, if you wanna put it crudely." Mona-chan said. "The job of the Phantom Thieves, the group you're part of, is to locate the treasure buried deep within the Palace, and steal it, purifying the person within."

"Is that… what you did to me?" Kuro asked quietly, almost scared to hear the answer. "Did I have a Palace?"

"No. We found you in Mementos. You had a Shadow that attacked us, but luckily, Akira-kun put you down quickly." He almost grimaced saying that name. Kuro didn't feel it was his place to dig into the cat's business, nevertheless.

"What did my Shadow look like?"

"I dunno." Mona-chan replied, puzzled. "It was some kind of tall man-like figure in a large black cloak. He had a bunch of knives on him though."

"Weird. Not my first thought for a weapon." Kuro muttered, hand at his chin. "So, what the hell am I doing here?"

"What do you think, newbie. You're gonna help his steal th- crap, get down!" Mona-chan suddenly hissed, shifting to the shadows with Haru. Kuro narrowed his eyes. The cat seemed to just melt into the shadows, blurring into them as he moved in short bursts.

An odd whirring sound vibrated the room slightly. The metal door flew open, and out came one of the strangest robots that he'd ever seen. Floating by a hovering spiral below it, the short, stout, humanoid silver robot drifted to a stop near Kuro. It remained static, staring at him with gleaming yellow flat eyes. Kuro narrowed his eyes on it, bringing his face closer. "Where the hell did you come from?"

Then suddenly, "Intruder! Intruder! Intruder!"

"Jesus Christ!"

Blaring alarms everywhere. Flashing red and white lights. Kuro bounced back, heart hammering away, throat hoarse from his latest shriek. Black flames spiraled around it, turning it into a large green humanoid robot, nearly twice Kuro's height, and five times as broad. Kuro paled. "Is that thing supposed to do that?"

"Run, you idiot!" Mona-Chan screamed.

Not missing a beat, Kuro took off in a mad sprint, sliding between the robots legs, and racing down the hall. The robots heavy clomping echoed behind him, just barely at his heels. "Stop the intruder. Stop the intruder. Stop the intruder."

Traveling from hall to hall, he couldn't find a way out. No other doors, no passages, no vents, no nothing. His breath was getting ragged, and his muscles sore. As he slowed down, a metal claw gripped his ankle, and sent him tumbling down. Dangling in front of the robot by his ankle, he thrashed, punched and kicked, trying to escape. The robot's eyes glinted at him, streams of numbers and data flowing through its large yellow eyes.

"Subject scan complete. Name of subject; Ookami Kuro. Age seventeen. Third year student. First son of units 36532 and 36533, deceased units of our facility." The robot droned.

Kuro stopped thrashing, and stared blankly. "Units? What are you talking about?"

"Daito and Kirin Ookami. Workers within our master's grand facility. They refused to function as needed as our master required, so we cast them aside." The robot continued.

Units. Just units. That word was like a smack in the face. They worked themselves to death, trying to keep Kuro and Yukina afloat, and they didn't even bother recognizing they existed. They weren't even remembered by name. No lives, no identities, no family, no heart. Just numbers. Numbers that were knocked off a chart, as if they never meant anything.

Kuro had a feeling this was the case. No words from the company came after his parents passing. No employees arrived at their funeral. No special words of hope or mourning from their former boss. The only mention that they existed was a work log, and a letter from one of the employees who seemed to be the only one aware that they both passed away at their workstations, during the same day as well, and knew they both had children.

"What is all the racket?" A strange looking man called from the end of the hall. Dressed in a clunky black space suit, with a large glass dome around his green colored head, the man strolled to the pair, looking at Kuro with disdain. "So, you're the one who barged in unannounced."

"Who… what... " Kuro was at a loss for words.

"Hold that thought, boy." The man pressed a button on the robots stomach, popping out a keyboard. Kuro could barely see whatever was on the screen. Even if he could, he doubted he could focus on it properly with all the blood rushing to his head. "Ookami?" He tapped away at his glass dome, eyes narrowed in thought. "Ookami… Ookami… oh, that's right. Unit 36532 and 36533's son. I forgot."

"Stop it." Kuro rasped. "Don't call them that."

"Don't give me orders, you pathetic child!" The man's sudden fury must've sparked something in the robot, as it lifted Kuro higher, and lobbed him across the hall. His back hit solid glass, cracking it. Throbbing pain filled his body. He grunted, sliding down to his rear. Thank God that injuries he suffered in the Metaverse didn't attribute to him in his world.

Gasping for air, clutching his sore ribs, he pushed himself up, supporting himself by the broken glass edge. He winced as it cut through the palm of his hand. The pain didn't matter. The point he wanted to fire across mattered much more. "You… you're Okumura, right? Just a weird version for this fucked up place, that's what I'm getting."

"I haven't the slightest clue what you're talking about." The shadow of Okumura mused.

"All those workers dying in your care. All of their families. Are they all just numbers to you? Just statistics?" Kuro seethed.

"What else would they be? They chose to work in my empire. They really should be grateful that they were even considered to work here." Okumura said nonchalantly. A tempered tick set in Kuro's jaw. The robot must've felt his bloodlust. It stepped in protectively at Okumura's side.

"Grateful? You call this shithole a reason to be grateful?" Kuro raged. "Do you know how much suffering your greed is causing? My parents are dead because of you! Do you even know their names?" Okumura did nothing but simply shrug. Kuro's heart throbbed. "You don't even know their names…"

"Who cares about their names. They did their purpose and left my presence. Nothing more. No one will remember your name once I kill you." Okumura said, almost boredly, waving his hand over to the robot. It jolted to life, and slowly marched to him. "Who's going to remember a thug like you anyway?"

Anger. So much anger swelled in him. This was just so unfair. Unreal. Painful. The helplessness began to set in. There was nothing he could do, even when there was so much he wanted to do. He wanted to tear them apart. He wanted to plant their names so deep inside that demented CEO's brain until he begs God above to let him forget it again. Teeth grit, face sweating, his body heat to an unbelievably degree.

 _Amazing. I've never felt such pure rage before. You are certainly on your way to taming the power within._

"Voices? Where…" Kuro sputtered, trying to contain himself. The voice was deep, uncompromising, and full of malice.

 _I can see it. Your hate. Your bloodlust. You want to make him bleed. You want to see him burn. You want to watch him die. You want to take your helplessness and crush it like the man you hate so much. However, rage isn't the only thing that can unleash the storm within. There is but one more thing you must have to free me from the confines of your mind, to tame my power, and claim your freedom._

"What do you want from me?" Kuro growled at the echoing voice.

 _Truth._

"Bullshit."

 _Fine. You don't appear ready yet. I should not do this normally, but you're better off alive then dead. I shall offer you a fraction of the power, the half you've released._

"Wha- what do you mean just half?" Kuro shouted. "What do I need to do to get the rest?"

 _My name, Kuro Ookami. You must find my name. Until then, feel my blessing… and my curse._

A burst of heat surged in him. Spirals of blue and white flames swirled around him, burning away at his clothes, morphing his appearance. It almost felt like getting new skin in a way. A shadow loomed over him. The flames vanished in one clean burst. His school uniform had changed into a black, ninja-esque bodysuit, with a short sleeve on one side and none on the other, and a white belt with a wolf's head on the buckle.. A wolf-like mask rested on his face, stuck like glue. The twin tails of his black scarf billowed in the invisible breeze.

An absurdly large shadow of a man loomed over him. His Persona looked like a large figure dressed in a thick black cloak, taught tightly, leaving creases similar to raven feathers. Red gleaming eyes glared out of a hood, veiled by blue flames that covered the entirety of the figure. Chains swirled around the man in a rapid twister. A wickedly sharp knife was in his right hand, and a spiked chain was in the other.

The intense heat forced ragged breaths out of him. A wicked grin formed on his face, broad and grim, like a jack o'lantern. The rust of power, the pounding of his heart, the roaring in his ears, everything just felt so good. No matter how absurd the situation is, no matter how much it didn't make sense in his head, this all just felt right. Instinctively, he clenched his hand gripping the handle of a Kusarigama, its chain spread across his back.

The snark in Okumura's grin vanished, replaced by shock. "C'mon! Hurry up and kill him!"

The green robot rocketed forward. With but a thought, Kuro's Persona surged forward, becoming a rapid blur in midair. Streaks of silver light flickered in random places around the charging robot. Within seconds, the metal split apart, chopped in pieces, and erupted in a fiery explosion. His Persona swooped back behind him, vaporizing on the spot. Okumura stared at him like he grew a second head.

"Okumura…" He breathed. "There's just so much I want to say to you. So much for all the hell you put my family through. Forget it. I'll just abridge it for you." He pulled his blade back. "Die." He rushed forward.

"Not today." A glass slab rushed in front of Kuro, blocking off the path towards him. That wicked, sick grin came back. "There's still much to do. Maybe I shall see you again, boy. Tell me the Unit's names again whenever you get that chance." With that, he walked down the hall, closing the metal sliding door behind him.

"Hey! Don't you _dare_ walk away from me! Okumura!" Kuro screamed, mashing his fist against the glass to no avail. "Okumura! Oku...mur" Suddenly, he felt dizzy, unable to keep himself up. The room began to spin a blurry mess before he passed out.

When he opened his eyes, the sun was surprisingly closer than it was a few minutes ago. The dizziness had started to go away, and he noticed the hard asphalt under his back. The throbbing in his head didn't make it better. "Okay, falling from orbit hurts a lot less than I thought." He muttered, sitting up.

He was back in the Ookami Food Headquarters courtyard. Above him stood Haru and Mona-chan, both crouching to face him. "How do you feel?" Haru asked.

"Like crap. How about you?" Kuro slurred.

"That's what you should expect after first summoning you Persona. You'll be fatigued for the rest of the day, and possibly tomorrow. What was its name anyway?" Mona-chan asked curiously.

Kuro cocked his head. "Name?"

"Your Persona. It has a name, right?"

"Um… is it supposed to?"

Mona-chan sighed. "Fantastic. Now I've got two kittens to take care of. How is it that you both have Persona's that you don't have names for?" Kuro would've asked more questions if his head wasn't throbbing. "Look, it's sunset, and security will be coming soon. I suggest you get back home before anyone who actually cares about you starts phoning the cops."

"Yeah, screw you." Kuro muttered, but they were both already gone. He clicked his tongue, and pushed himself up to his feet. There was too much to think about for one day. Stumbling his way home felt impossible. He could barely manage a step and keep himself conscious. Dazed, he leaned against the wall of a friendly looking neighborhood home. Maybe a small nap wouldn't hurt, right?

The last thing he saw was a girls shadow before he passed out once again.

* * *

Yukina rushed to the door at the slight knock, disappointed to find that the wind had blown a pebble on it. Her brother wasn't here again. For the third week now, he had been avoiding home, staying out so late at night that she would never see him. What he was doing was anyone's guess, but why was he ignoring her? Did she do something wrong? Didn't he say he'd stay with her after Mom and Dad died?

She leaned against the door, hearing their voices in her head again, whimpering and sobbing. "Kuu-kun… where are you?"

* * *

 ** _and thus our hero gets his Persona! Well... part of it. Please review what you think, and I'll see you later!_**


	6. Chapter 6: Who are you?

**_NOW! To those wondering why I've been gone so long, I've been dealing with a lot of personal problems as of late. Problems that I'd rather not talk about. Even so, i didn't wanna keep this on the back burner forever. So, Event Recap._**

 ** _Kuro had formed a temporary deal with Morgana, granting him access to Okumura's palace. In his rage, during battle with him, he unlocked a remnant of his Persona. Tired, he passed out in the street, not noticing a shadow over him..._**

* * *

The cognitive world was an enigma in itself. Whatever effects occurred inside the world had no withstanding on what happened on what Kuro could only call 'his' world. Time was continually inconsistent, making hour's minutes or even seconds and vice versa. These rules were committed to memory, the only solid means and rules on how such a world worked. Whether or not it sucked those affected back in at any time was anyone's guess, however. It certainly felt like that was the case when he noticed his back wasn't touching the rough gravel he fell asleep on.

Below was surprisingly soft, almost like floating on a cloud full of silk. He took a breath. The air was stale, warm and hard to take in. The sound of water dropping on porcelain filled the room, almost in a peaceful way. When Kuro opened his eyes, nothing felt right. First off, the night sky had turned into a dense black ceiling, solid with little to no blemishes on it. He blinked, remembering falling asleep on the side of the road, not here. Had someone carried him into their home? No. This didn't feel right. This air, this feeling, it all felt like he was in the cognitive world again, except not.

Swinging his legs over the side of his bed, he stood up and stretched. No aching pains, or stiff back, so he wasn't lying there for very long. The room had a blatant hotel feel to it, with things and furniture put ever so meticulously in place. The entire room felt and looked completely sterile, with no cracks, streaks, or even specks of dust to be found. He found himself looking for something wrong with the room just to feel somewhat normal. Absolutely nothing was out of place.

There was a soft sound coming from outside the door. A tune from a piano. Soft singing as well. Biting his lip, he marched towards the door, staring at his feet, waiting for multicolored trails for appear, but nothing yet. The door opened with barely a touch, creaking loudly and ominously. The hallway was similar to his room in a way, completely sterile. Not a cobweb or dust bunny in sight. The walls for smooth to the touch, and the completely dark, like his room. Faint light came from somewhere, but he couldn't figure out where.

Stairs brought him down to the main foyer, where an empty desk stood, with a wall full of keys above it. One key was missing. Out of curiosity, Kuro checked his pockets to find the key tucked in one of them. He furrowed his brows in confusion, but continued on. He thought he should've been afraid, but he felt strangely at ease, like nothing here would actually hurt him. When he approached the desk, a butterfly attracted his attention away. A glistening black butterfly, drifting slightly out the door. Kuro looked back at the desk, then bounced back in shock.

One of the weirdest men Kuro had ever seen inhabited the chair now. Short and skinny as a rail, in his crisp black business suit, the man sat with deathly pale skin, bloodshot baseball sized eyes, Elf-like ears and a pointy, long nose that was bigger than his hand. The man had a perpetual grin, almost looking evil in a way. Kuro instinctively took a step back, not taking his eyes off the man. Once he reached the door, he found it unlocked. He hesitated until the man finally spoke.

"Go on. I shall not stop you." The man said with a devastatingly base-deep voice.

Not missing a beat, Kuro swung the door open, and took his first step outside. The first thing that hit him was the heat that made him melt in place. Next was his foot sinking into soft sand. As far as the eye could see was desert. Mountain upon mountain of sand in the distance, going endlessly. Kuro gulped. There was no civilization for miles. No food, water, and he was wearing his school uniform still. There was no way he'd survive.

Quickly, he shut the door, then turned back to the old man. "Where the hell am I?" He demanded.

If it was possible, the man's ear to ear grin grew wider. "Welcome to the Velvet Room, such as it were." Kuro blinked. _Velvet what? That doesn't sound… child friendly._ The man chuckled ruefully, bringing chills down his spine. "My my, I feel that you're confused."

"Confused. Yeah. That's the word I'd use." Kuro rasped. "I'm talking to a cross between an elf and a clown. This is happening right now. Am I back in the Metaverse?"

"This place is a manifestation of the confines of your mind. You're place in reality and how you exist in it." The man explained rather gleefully.

Kuro sighed. "That answers literally none of my questions."

"What other answer is best suited for your needs, Mediator." The man questioned.

"Mediator? Close but no cigar, you creepy elf on a shelf. The names Kuro Ookami." Kuro corrected.

"My name is Igor, Mediator. I am the keeper of the Velvet Room, and the one to oversee the trials you undertake to reach your verdict." Igor said, wrapping his fingers under what little chin he had.

"Quit speaking in riddles, old man." Kuro grunted, quickly losing patience. "What are you? What is this place? What am I doing here? How did I get here? If we can answer those questions in ways I can actually understand them, that'd be great."

Igor chuckled again, sending more shivers down his spine. That things meer presence sent warning signs in him to run away. "Your fate began to unravel the moment you met the Trickster, the man you know simply as Akira Kurusu. In the coming days, you will meet another, one just as powerful as he. Once the two clash, your choice will change the fate of the world."

"Excuse me?" Kuro demanded. "Who is this person? What does he want with me?"

"All in due time. Fate can never be rushed." Igor stated. "As I've come to understand, you've unlocked a portion of your Persona." Kuro nodded slowly. "How exciting. The Persona you have is more powerful than any of us could've anticipated. Only half the power, yet so much to give. This will be perfect to decide fate with. You have a willpower different from the others. Primal, vicious, and honest with your humanity. You understand there is no evil, and no good either. There is only you."

"I'll never get a straight answer out of you." Kuro muttered, leaning on the desk. "At least tell me this. How the hell do I get out of here?"

"Quite simple really. Go back to your room, and sleep. The morrow will find you shortly. Farewell, Mediator." Igor said. Before Kuro could get another word out, the man slowly dissolved into nothing, leaving an echoing laugh in his wake. Ever the cautious type in these situations, he didn't know if he should follow through with that advice. Then again, what other option did he have? It was either that, or facing an endless walk in the desert. Still, some part of him wanted to keep Igor a secret. Who would believe him?

Darkness slowly enveloped the halls at his heel when he carefully walked by. The Velvet Room itself was saying goodbye to him, as creepy as that sounded. When he arrived back into his room, he lay onto his bed, and drifted off to sleep. The world shifted around him until the soft bed was replaced by a hardwood table. The aches and pains he was expecting hit him like a flaming firetruck, making him groan like a drunkard where he lay.

"Okay, I'm noticing a severe lack of gravel in my back." He commented hoarsely. "Who carried me and why?"

"Do I really need a reason to help someone in need?" An angelic voice asked. A familiar angelic voice at that. _Oh my…_

Kuro's eyes snapped open. Hardwood bench? Stain glass windows? Candlelight warmth? Enticing, calming aroma? No question about it. Kuro was back in the church somehow. And where there was the church, there was the shogi playing maiden, Hifumi Togo. Lo and behold, there she sat, playing a back and forth solo shogi game, probably honing her already refined skills. Somehow though, she was ignoring the board entirely, and had her eyes focused on him, deep in concern. Kuro blinked once. Twice. Nope. Not dreaming anymore.

"Um… hey, Hifumi-chan." Kuro said faintly, trying to regain his composure. She didn't respond. Kuro rubbed the back of his head. Did he got too far by using her first name? Were they not that close yet? Perhaps that phone call was a slip of the tongue, but there was something more to her gaze, somehow at ease, yet cautious at the same time. Lips taught, eyes narrowed, it looked like she was decipher the puzzle that was Kuro Ookami. And she was closer to unraveling his secrets than he thought. "So, uh, you wanna play?"

"Yes. Thank you."

Immediately when the game started, he noticed something was wrong. The same flare that Hifumi played with had gone. No boastful cries, fairytale fantasies, or alarming cries. Even her pieces lacked that distinctive noise. Kuro didn't have to be a genius to see that she clearly had way too many things on her mind. Breaking the ice might be the best route.

"Um… did you carry me here?"

"Oh, no. I just happened to be walking with a few school mates. One said he might've known you. Yusuke Kitagawa I believe." She said offhandedly. "That doesn't concern me as of right now. Recently, when I mentioned your name to my fellow schoolmates, the result was… troubling."

Kuro blanched. He said nothing.

"Interestingly enough, the name of a new, damaged transfer student by the name of Shojo Tujin sought me out trying to warn me about you." Hifumi said slowly.

Kuro scoffed bitterly. So that's where he went. "Well, now that the cats outta the bag, any questions you've got for me?"

"Mostly, just wondering how-"

"How someone could do something like that to the poor kid? How he could traumatize him the way he did?" Kuro cut in, feeling sadness envelop him. "It's fine Togo-san. I won't waste your time with my pointless answers and excuses. What's done is done, and I have to live with it. Sorry for wasting your time. It was nice knowing you."

"N-no, wait! I-"

But Kuro was nearly at the door already, roughly pushing it open, desiring never to return again. Shogi pieces that Kuro had used prior were scattered where he used to sit, forgotten. It took a moment for what happened to fully register. Once she was back in her own head, she sighed into her hand, collecting the pieces, chastising herself for her lack of social skills. Sure his impulsive attitude made him leave in the first place, but her faux-interrogation didn't help. The priest put a helpful hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry about him. That boy is as impatient and unruly as they come. But deep down, he has a good heart." He said slowly. He sighed. "He just doesn't believe it."

Even at night, Tokyo was bustling at it was stress inducing, something Kuro could've done without. Fighting through the endless wave of onlookers and people going about their daily business was nothing more than a duel of wits to keep his sanity. Walking with no destination was the worst thing to do in the middle of a city. You'd find yourself drifting endlessly, slowing down to soak in the sights and sounds, something people rushing around had no patience for. They'd bump past you without a moment's hesitation, and no care if you get knocked down or not.

Taking to the backstreets took a bit of trouble off. Less populated areas, less mileage in the long run. Central Shibuya was light enough on people to wander around without stepping on too many toes. The diner was practically calling for him to drown away his troubles. The moment he entered however, he spotted people that he didn't want to see. His fellow Phantom Thieves, as it were, chatting amongst themselves. The air around them was tense, especially with the lack of the cat following them around, but they kept themselves cordial.

Their eyes were nearly on him. He managed to escape quickly the way he came, only catching the watchful eyes of his savior, Akira. Staying with them would be a waste of time. Not that any of them would take an interest in him anyway. He sighed gravilly, taking to the streets of Shibuya once again. With nowhere else to go, he headed to a place where he could forcefully beat out his trouble: the Gym.

To those who didn't know, and those more unfortunate to find out, Kuro was infamous for his boxing skill. That was the only thing that kept him from being expelled. At first, it started off as a method of burning stress and frustration. It still is in a way, but he managed to morph it into a truly honed skill. He paid his fee and grabbed his gloves quickly, not even speaking a word to the attendant. He stripped off his shirt, leaving him in his black tank-top, and began wailing away at the punching bag in the corner of the room.

Kuro imagined that punching bag had all the frustration that festered and brewed inside him for such a long time, then aggressively attacked. Forward. Rapid jab. Hook. Hook again. Uppercut. Drift back, weave then right hook. Sweating from the minutes he put in, he didn't notice a hand closing on his shoulder.

"A little tense, aren't we?" Akira asked, his regular confident smile on his face.

"Oh, what gave me away, Joker." Kuro said sarcastically, not taking his eyes off the battered bag.

"Really Kuro? You're worse than Ryugi. Do you mind not giving out our codenames in full display?"

"Whatever you say, Cap." Kuro replied carelessly. He threw a few more jabs at the punching bag before stopping and sighing, realizing that this stubborn man wasn't leaving anytime soon. "Do you need something?"

"I wanted to try and give this you a few rounds." Akira clarified.

"Are you sure about that?" Kuro scoffed. "You don't look like the boxing type."

"Oh you never know. Are you telling me you're scared of a scrawny kid?" Akira challenged. This little...

"More like scared of breaking your pretty little face." Kuro said in his most threatening tone.

"Aw, you think my face is pretty? How sweet of you." Akira mused. Kuro grunted, seizing him by the shoulder. A short scoff came out of him. "Just so you know, my safeword's Joker."

"You're really asking for it." Kuro warned, already taking gloves off the table. "Fine. I'll oblige. If anyone asked, you fell down some stairs."

They both made their way to the sparring ring, they wasted no time piling each other with blows. Naturally, with Kuro's bigger physique and experience, it was quite a one-sided battle, but Akira's determination made the fight more difficult than he thought. The boy just wouldn't stay down. There was a natural combative stance to him, betraying his lack of form and grace. As the minutes went by, Akira knelt against the rope, raising his hand up for a break.

"Can you tell me now what's stressing you out?" Akira asked, panting. "Now that you've worked some of your stress out."

"Not in the mood, Kurusu-kun." Kuro fired back, taking a sip of water from his canteen.

"You never are." He muttered. After a moment of thought, he spoke again. "Is it because of what you did to Shojo-san?" That remark made Kuro sputter and spit out some of his drink in a mist. Right as he did, a steady right hook slammed right into his cheek, nearly knocking him off of his feet. "C'mon, champ, your guard was down." He said with a smirk.

Kuro grunted back, glove pressed against the new bruise forming on his cheek. "Cheap shot, buddy. It won't happen again."

"You still haven't answered my question." Akira said, raising his fists again.

Kuro couldn't answer a question when there truly wasn't an answer. Remorse was the first fake answer that came to mind. Guilt wasn't far off either. Feigning that was like second nature, not particularly favoring dishonesty, but still very good at it. Maybe he could say the truth. He was selfish. He hurt so many people, but still wanted happiness in return. Therefore, whatever sick version of a deity that was satisfied with making his life miserable decided against, and took from him his only friend. Another right hook struck him in the ribs this time, shoving him into the corner.

"Is it because you feel like you don't belong?" Two jabs into Kuro's chest. "That you hate the world around and what its doing to you?" Uppercut right to his sternum, taking the wind out of him. "That you want happiness when you feel you don't deserve it?" Left hook to the ear. "That you want to escape and leave this all behind you?" Lunge to his midsection. "That everyone in this world, including your family, hates your very existence?"

That did it.

Akira attempted a straight punch, striking his shielding shoulder. One rapid counterpunch straight to his lip made Akira's head fly back, taking the rest of him with it. Blood hit the ring. The Phantom Thief's back hit the ring hard, a steady stream of blood dropping down from the right side of his mouth. Kuro stood, panting, hal- satisfied, half-panicking at what he'd just done. There Akira sat, stuck in a daze, then, to Kuro's shock, he smiled.

"There. Did that feel good?" He said, sitting up and spitting blood out.

"Of course not." Kuro growled. "I don't get off on hurting people. Do you have some kind of deathwish?"

"You're missing the point." Akira managed. "All of what I said was true. All of it, wasn't it?" Kuro didn't say a word, casting his eye to the ring. "I guess that answers that."

"You don't know m-"

"Then _help_ me know you." Akira cut in. "All I know about you is what you've done, not who you are. You're shadow only told me your sickest desire, not anything else. Tell me the truth. Who are you?"

Kuro sighed. The boy was relentless if anything. What was the point of hiding anything anymore, especially from someone who's seen a side of him few have ever seen. "If you want honesty, then fine. In truth, I don't give a damn about helping people. Not for any benefit that is. I never saw the point. I hurt people. A lot of them. And now, because I feel just that little bit of remorse, I want happiness. I'm a selfish, compulsive, angry little hypocrite, and I'm getting what I deserve."

Images of Hifumi flashed through his mind. The quiet passion in her eyes, her innocent, quiet demeanor, giving hope that he would be accepted finally. A selfish dream really. Someone who actually listened without assumption. Maybe dreams were meant to stay just that. Dreams. Just empty wishes in the back of your head, nagging you until you want them more. Even so, he wanted this to be more. Maybe something to break the mold, and give him something he wanted, but he barely experienced.

"Is that so? What's so wrong with that?" Akira asked. Kuro doubled back, glaring at him. "No, I'm serious. What's wrong with that? If that's you, then it's you. That's just who you are."

"Are you serious? Did you hear a single damn word I just said?" Kuro demanded. "What about what others would think of me?"

"Screw'em. You're you. Why be anybody else to suit their needs?" Akira asked. "Think about it. All of us have the same problem at first. We wanted to be accepted, but we weren't. Reality just rejects us. But forget what everyone wants us to be. You're a Phantom Thief now. You're free. Be who you are. And then, when you're ready, be something more. We all still have room to grow. And no matter what, I'll help you along the way."

Kuro said nothing. No words came to mind. This was the closest bond outside of his family he felt, albeit a rather small one. Whether he barely knew the guy or not, he actually cared. He wanted to help him and see this through to the end. That same personality was what he sought to have when he was younger, when the world hadn't bogged him down nearly as much.

"We all have our demons. Even the Phantom Thieves." Akira trailed off, thoughts probably drifting to someone else. Kuro knew who. "That being said, not all of us can get over ours. A friend of mine can't. I want to help him, but I need your help. I know that you don't like helping others but-"

"I do owe you, remember?" Kuro stated. "C'mon. Let's get you cleaned up and get ho-"

"Oh my God!" A somewhat shrill voice screamed. "What did he- What happened to you?" Kuro stiffly turned around, offering a wry smile to Akira's friends, his new fellow Phantom Thieves.

"Uh… Well…"

"I fell down some stairs."

"Y-yeah, he fell down some stairs."

* * *

 _ **Thank you for reading! Review what you think! Don't worry, it won't take as long for the next chapter to come out, Caio!**_


	7. Chapter 7: At The Brink

There was an odd sense of monotony in Kuro's life that he couldn't stand. Most live this life without any question or want of change. How someone could live like that was beyond him. Nothing to spice up their world, nothing to make it seem any different, for better or for worse, that kind of life was something that Kuro despised. That sickening sense stuck with him ever since this whole little debacle had started. Wake up, go to school, run off to Mementos, get destroyed, then come back home. Gaining somewhat of a persona didn't help much. Today, however, he decided to change that.

There was a special place in the gym, a place that was scarcely used. Just tucked away in the back room, possibly in a restricted area, was a load of boxing equipment, gloves, a punching bag, all sorts that would make a great way to work your anger out, and get some training in at the same time. This could offer a nice change. A place of solitude he hadn't touched since the day that the Phantom Thieves changed his life forever. Barely anyone peeked up from the equipment when he slipped by, closing the back door behind him. Good. No one to bother him while he worked his stress out.

The room hadn't seen life in months and it clearly showed. Dust was more common than air, coating every surface, every orifice, and floated through the air. The boxing gloves were splayed around in random places, tossed around carelessly. He had to pick carefully out of the litter, putting them in two separate piles deemed 'dirty, but useable, and 'it will probably give me every disease known to man if I put this moldy trash on'. After carefully picking the cleanest of the litter, or as clean as it could be, he bumped his fists together, grinning from ear to ear, ready to beat every ounce stress he had onto this poor, dusty, unsuspecting punching bag. At least he was until that bright blue glow in the corner of the room glinted into his eyes.

A door. A door in the middle of a boxing ring. A door glowing with an aurora of blue, with its entirety being almost transparent in a way. Kuro froze, narrowing his eyes on the foreign object. Normally, fear would be the first thing smacking him in the face, but truth be told, there was none. Instead, there was curiosity, even a little excitement in what lies behind it. With a deep breath, he slid into the boxing ring, approaching the door with caution. There was a slow, deep laugh that echoed from it, sending shivers down Kuro's spine. With a deep breath, he pushed the door open and rushed inside.

A familiar deep dark abandoned hotel foyer met him on the other side. Cobwebs covered every corner of the room, matted onto the desk, and latched onto the the lamp. The ticking of a clock grew louder and louder with each passing second. Taking a few steps forward, the door slowly closed behind him, creaking loudly, closing with a haunting echo. The lamp flickered on, showing that same skinny, elf-like midget of a man with a eyes bigger than billiard balls, and a nose that reminded him of a wrinkly fat banana. Igor, the mystery of a being, was being back again, smiling from ear to ear.

As Kuro approached, the mysterious being slowly faded away, laughter echoing throughout the room, reverberating in his mind. A short chuckle came out of him, despite the ever-increasing fear creeping up inside him. There was nothing but stillness and silence until a white and silver glint shined in his eyes from across the room. A large mirror, much taller and wider than himself, stood in the corner, shining light out of its front. That reflection… wasn't his.

A cloaked figure stood staring at him through the other side than the mirror. A figure wrapped in a myriad of swirling chains, raven wings bursting from its back, and out the sides of the mirror, some raining down on him. A jack-o-lantern face stared straight at him, glinting dangerously, blue flames surrounding it.

"Welcome traveler." Kuro jumped out of his skin, clutching his heart. What in the world was wrong with him? Shouldn't Igor be the equivalent of a wall ornament compared to the crazy things that he's seen so far? Igor stared at him, back in his chair without making a sound. "My apologies, traveler. Have I startled you?"

"Nope. I didn't need heart in my chest anyhow." Kuro quipped back.

"I suspect you have many questions of the coming events? Maybe questions of the powers that you now possess."

"Maybe just a few." Kuro said, slipping into a chair in front of the desk. "Just… what are you?"

"I am known as many things, Traveler, however, my origin, purpose and reason of my own existence eludes even me. I am but a guide to those who wander into my humble abode. The Velvet Room exists as a reflection of you, as is your Persona, of which, I am aware, you are having difficulties." Igor said, his deep voice vibrating in Kuro's chest. "I see your Persona chooses to gift you with a fraction of its power, but nothing more. It's name is something it wants to keep secret."

Kuro scoffed. "So my Persona's got a bad case of paranoia. That just settles my list of problems."

"The Persona gifted upon you is one with powers most unnatural. The one in your possession is powerful, daunting, different from the rest, a worthy one befitting your title of Mediator. However, as of right now, it does not see you as worthy of its true strength. That may come in due time. However, your path to your success will not be paved in gold, as any victory worth having." Kuro rightened himself on his chair, anticipation setting in. "In the coming future, you will be presented with a choice that will define the future of your world. The choice of who will be presented with victory to those who you see fit. That is your destiny."

"Yes, but why is it mine?" Kuro asked tensely.

"Why is it anyone's. There is no personal, special quality to you or your character. There is only you, and your choice. A man like you needs nothing else." Igor said, almost with a sense of pride. Maybe Kuro read into it, but his gut said otherwise.

"Is that all you wanted me here for?" Kuro asked.

"No. There is but one more piece of information I must share with you." The little man said. "The Persona gifted upon you will only answer to you once you answer to yourself. It is one thing to know you. It is another to want to be better. That is all. You may exit the Velvet Room if you so desire."

That was it? Nothing further, just more cryptic bullshit? The man faded away, laughing as he did. Any snarky comment or gripe Kuro had died in his throat. There was nothing more to say. Picking himself up from the chair, he made his way to the exit that was his own designated room, and ended back in the boxing ring, feeling more angry and confused than ever. Not even beating the crap out of that bag would solve anything now. He stormed out of the room, and made his way home. When he opened the door, his sister ran up to greet him, only adding to his anger. The last thing he wanted to be bothered by anyone.

"Kuu-Kun, you're-"

"What the heck are you still doing up? It's midnight." Kuro snapped.

Yukina was taken aback, eyes wide at his sudden shout. "But I was-"

"Dammit, I don't care! You shouldn't be up, just go to bed!" She opened her mouth to argue again, but his frustration spiked once more. "Will you ever do as you're damn well told? I swear, this is the same thing Mom had to go through wi-" He froze, feeling an ice cold grip on his heart. "Yukina-chan…"

The damage had already been done. "No! I just wanted to see you! I never see you anymore! Why do you hate me?" She screamed, sobbing from each word. "Shut up! Leave me alone, you jerk! I hope you disappear!" With that, his younger sister dumped her small bundle of napkins he kept in her hands onto the ground, stomped on it, and ran upstairs, slamming her door.

"Good going, you idiot. You did it again." Kuro muttered, smacking the back of his head. "Why are you so fixated on turning the whole damn world against you?" The crushed bundle at his feet had crumbled bits of a warm, tasty looking cookie. A cookie made just for him. A cookie that he rejected and screamed at just because he was frustrated.

Kuro slammed his head into the wall, and sighed. He didn't move for another hour before trudging into his room and dozing off.

* * *

Skipping school was never a good idea. Whether you do it successfully or not, there was no way of getting out of the situation without it eventually biting back on him. Even so, he didn't care today. Anything to not speak to anyone. Taking to the backstreets of Tokyo was the best way to go about things. Barely anyone wondered around that area, and the few that did we're old folks that would sooner stare up a cloud than bother him. The coffee shop in the area was quite a local success, and was quiet enough that he could be left alone, hopefully.

The cafe LeBlanc. Small, primitive, but suitable to its purpose, with an oddly cosy feeling to it. He entered and sat at the table closest to the door, watching the people passing by. The old man at the table stared curiously at him, but left him be, going back to cleaning his glass. Before Kuro could get lost in his thoughts, the doorbell rang, and someone had the nerve to sit at his table. Without opening his eyes, he spoke.

"Look, I don't give a damn what you want, you've caught me on a bad day. Just leave me alone." Kuro seethed quietly.

"Ah, the old aggressive Ookami Kuro. I suppose you're reformation hasn't gone well." A voice said in a slimy drawl.

Kuro grit his teeth. That voice. Of all the people he had to see today, it would have to be him. Just hearing his voice brought his temper to a boiling point. Yuto Takiyama. Leading one of the sections of the child protective agencies, with quite a very crooked nose that Kuro looked at with a mixture of pride and regret. The pale, skinny man reminded Kuro of a flesh colored cellophane stretched over a mannequin haphazardly, with balding black hair and a snake-like face. Someone who just screamed 'asshole' with his very existence.

"Mr. Takiyama. Nice to see you." Kuro casually said, hiding the edge deftly. "How's the wife and kids? Doing well?"

"Ookami-san, I wouldn't be speaking so casually, especially when you're currently breaking the law for the umpteenth time." Takiyama said in his usual slimy tone. "Truancy is warranting for arrest in this area I'll have you know." Kuro let out a loose grunt. Maybe if he stares at the table, keeping the old bastard out of his field of vision, he'll somehow disappear from existence. "Ookami-san, I don't appreciate being ignored."

"I don't appreciate middle-age men staring me up and down while I'm enjoying a nice cup of my troubles." He briefly raised his half-drunk cup of coffee before roughly putting it back on the table. The little bit that sprang out of the cup burning the skin on his hand didn't help his mood. "If you don't mind, clear off. I don't need more problems."

"I went to visit your sister today." Takiyama said, offhandedly. Kuro's heart skipped a beat instantly. There was a brief flash of red rage, followed by the sound of porcelain shattering, and a burning pain in his hand. Teeth grit, Kuro listened on. "Once again, she said nothing, even when I asked her the most sensitive of questions about yours and your aunt's methods of caretaking for such a child. It seems that the quality of your care must be called into question."

The coffee shop sounds were blanked out. The only sounds Kuro could hear was his raging heartbeat, increasing breath-rate, and the voice of the man he wanted to slaughter. Deep breaths. Keep them coming. One punch and it would be all over. Takiyama would have a broken nose again, but Kuro would end up with an even more broken future. There was little he could do. A good minute passed by before he spoke again.

"What the hell do you want for me?" Kuro demanded.

"A little compensation for my trouble." Takiyama said, grinning. "With the right incentive, I may keep my mouth shut, and probably keep the rest of the agency off of your tail. I would say… five-hundred thousand yen should cover it."

"You… you can't be serious." Kuro rasped in complete disbelief. The student had never even seen that amount of money in his life. What made this crooked bastard think that he could somehow trudge up that kind of money?"

"I am very serious. Compensate me, and I'll compensate you. Simple as that."

"But I can'-"

"Good day, Ookami-kun." Takiyama said with a stiff nod, and an arrogant smile. He rose out of his seat, gave Kuro a good pat on his shoulder, and walked away with a wave.

That stinging pain came back. When Kuro looked down, some shattered remains of the coffee cup was dug into his bleeding hand. Gritting his teeth, he slowly took the bits of porcelain out, blood pouring out on the table. Anger. The worst issue that plagued him since he was a child. There was no way of punching his way out of this one though. He was being extorted. There was nothing he could do about it. Someone of his record wouldn't have the trust of the police, especially when it involves someone in Takiyama's position. Plus, even if he did, he would never see his sister again.

Ignoring the eyes around him, he stormed out of LeBlanc, hoping nothing more would go wrong today.

* * *

Staring at the church garnered quite a lot of uneasy eyes on Kuro. Then again, staring at it for nearly an hour didn't help. What was he doing? Trying to find some kind of divine help or intervention? Trying to admire the peace and quiet for as long as he could? Who knew. He was too fed up and agitated to care. His hand hovered over the large doorknob. Weren't churches meant to make you feel safe? Then again, where would he feel safe these days? After a few more minutes staring, he pushed his way in, and sat down in the first bench closest to the door, staring at the plain glass window.

What was he supposed to do now? Say something? What could he even say? This all could be his punishment for the crap he pulled for so long. So many people hurt. Even his own family. He sighed, leaning back into his seat, and stared at the ceiling, just wishing for something good, anything good to happen to him. A damn coin on the ground that wasn't covered in dirt, grime or dog crap would be like finding gold at this point. A soft hand closed on his shoulder while he was distracted. His head slumped lifelessly to the side, and saw an angel.

"Um… excuse me." Hifumi Togo said, concern in her gaze. "Have you finally calmed down? I would like to talk to you." She wore a white dress, checkered with blue and orange, formal and dignified, but subtle. How fitting.

"Togo-san." Kuro managed, with a nod.

"When was the last time you've slept? You look terrible!" She gasped,

"Heh, do I look that bad?" Kuro asked, eyes feeling heavier that they did. Did he not notice? He sighed. "Just get it over with. I know what you must think of me now."

Hifumi stared him dead in the eye. "Kuro-kun, these past days have been quite the eye-opener, involving your past misdeeds. Since that poor boy came forward to me, many more came forward as well, all with similar stories." She trailed off, looking away from him. That was probably the most she's said at once, and it showed. Communication wasn't her strongest attribute, and somehow, it just made her cuter. "I can't deny that those stories of you… they scare me. You scared me."

There it is. The words that he expected to hear. Kuro unconsciously inched towards the door, but was stopped when Hifumi's hand gripped his wrist. "Kuro, please don't run away again. That isn't a way to solve problems."

"But it's the only way I can. If I don't, I lose it." Kuro said, feigning effort to break out of her grasp.

"Kuro-kun. Sit. Down. Please." Hifumi said, giving the most intimidating face she could offer. A brief smile crept onto Kuro's face. That face wasn't meant to do… whatever it was trying to do now. He obliged, sitting back down. "I've heard their stories, and then I've seen you. In the weeks we've spoken, I haven't seen that side of you. In fact, all I see is a man trying to run away. You look like you know yourself but you really don't want to be better, do you?"

"Sounds like you can read me like a book." Kuro almost jokingly said.

"Kuro-kun…" Hifumi struggled with her next words. "What're you running from?"

Kuro sighed. "I don't even know anymore." He winced after unconsciously clenching his wounded hand. A drop of blood dripped onto the seat. Hifumi gaped at him. Kuro sighed. "Yeah, I lost my temper again. Business as usual."

"What on earth am I going to do with you." Hifumi said exasperatedly. She took a pink handkerchief out of her pocket and wrapped it carefully around his palm. The pink was slightly stained dark with a bit of blood. He winced when she tightened it. "Honestly, its like caring for a child."

Kuro chuckled. This talk was odd, but worth it. Poor girl had no idea what she was saying or how to say it, but she tried so hard. The effort was well worth it. It was what counted. That cheered him up more than anything else. He peered to the back of her, and saw a shogi board. A smile crept to his face. "Hifumi-chan… wanna have a game? For my gratitude anyhow."

"Gratitude for what?" Hifumi asked.

"For at least trying. That's better than a lot of others have even bothered doing. Thanks for that. Now, Star Princess, show me what your forces can do against the Kingdom of The Black Wolf!" He eagerly said.

Hifumi gave a glittering smile in return. "My forces are mighty. May the best player win."

* * *

The next day was much brighter than the last. For one, he managed to actually get some sleep. School ran by quicker with less people on his ass for just existing. The Phantom Thieves put him on the group chat, making him officially part of the crew. The day carried on with Kuro keeping quite a lofty smile, a contrast over the last few days. How one dedicated, diligent and disciplined nerd could do that to him was something new. She appealed to him in ways no other girl really has. Smart, clever, genuine and caring, easy on the eyes, and more importantly, the ears. She wasn't another pretty face, and he could appreciate that. She was going places, that girl.

Tokyo was calmer than usual today. Cars lugged by at a snail's pace, and life just carried on slower than usual. The walk home was kind of quiet, which was welcome. At least it was until a white limousine sped past him, inches from his foot. That asshole driver nearly ran him down!

"Watch where you're going, you dick!" Kuro shouted. The limousine stopped shy of an alleyway, where one of the cleanest, irritatingly handsome man stepped out, in the crispiest white suit he had ever seen. With chocolate brown hair and eyes, the man turned his head back at him, sneered and looked away, walking down the alley. Kuro clicked his tongue in annoyance. What an asshole…

Before Kuro could turn and leave, he heard a girl scream. Teeth clenched, he slid over the hood of the limousine, hood flipped, covering the vast majority of his face. Two people were struggling and shouting, one, presumably the snobbish man, and the other being Haru, who looked distressed and impatient, with a little bit of fear. They argued back and forth, their voices barely audible to him. He moved closer, back sliding across the view, taking a quick peek at the arguing duo. A black cat, that he could only assume was Morgana, against the wall, gasping in pain. His heart skipped a beat when the man clenched Haru's wrist tightly, making her squeal in pain.

"I'll forgive you for how you acted if maybe we can go back home and maybe…" He licked his lips creepily, eyes scrolling along her body. Haru tried shifting away, tears creeping into the corner of her eyes. "Maybe we could have some fun."

That did it. Before he knew it, his body shifted into gear, pushing off the edge and standing out, casting a hooded shadow over the alleyway. Instinctively, he dipped his head, hiding the majority of his face, save his mouth. The well-dressed man turned his head, and glared at him.

"You. What do you want? Can't you see I'm trying to discipline those who have no right to disobey?" The man growled. Just seeing this arrogant man sent angry alarm bells ringing in his head. Rapid heartbeat. Already seeing red. Calm down. Don't lose your temper again. That's just what they all want. Tempting as it was just the leave the situation, Kuro stood his ground, already fuming. The well-dressed man clicked his tongue. "Idiot, I am warning you. Do you know who the hell I am? Leave. That is your last warning."

Kuro just stood there, glaring at him through the fabric of his hoodie. The well-dressed man clicked his tongue, then turned back to Haru, ignoring him. That bastard, thinking that he was better. That he could do whatever the hell he wanted and get away with it. There was only one thing for it. He strode towards the couple, gripped him by the shoulder, and turning him sharply to face him.

What Kuro did next surprised even himself. He reared his fist back and rammed it hard into the well-dressed man's cheek. Time slowed to a crawl. The man's head snapped sideways, then back to Kuro just as fast, eyes wide and blank. He stumbled onto his rear, completely dazed. Kuro looked at his still clenched fist. The way it tingled. That just might've been the most satisfying punch he had thrown in a very long time. What came next made time speed back up, and then some.

"P-police! Help me!"

Kuro jumped in surprise at the sudden fearful shout. The man went from a suave businessman to a child getting his lollipop being taken away. He did a double take around his surroundings, then exited the alleyway, screaming a quick 'goodbye and goodluck' to Haru, and running down the suddenly crowded street.

"Stop right there!" A cop shouted, tailing behind him.

"Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap!" Kuro madly spat, pushing past the crowd. As if his luck couldn't get any worse. After pushing past the crowd, he took to a familiar path, dodging cars and eyes along the way. Adding to the list of impulsive, stupid decisions, he ended up outside of his house, with police on both ends, slowly closing in. "Okay… plans… gotta think of a-"

"Palace detected."

Kuro's heart skipped a beat when his phone spoke. With a gulp, he pulled his phone out. The strange app had activated on its own.

"Um, okay… Phone, what the hell do you want, and how can you get me outta this?" Kuro demanded the object, feeling kind of crazy.

"Requiring name, location and keyword." The phone said in reply.

"What name? Like, name of the person with the palace, or…" He began to panic, running out of options. "Uh, my aunts name… Ayano Ookami." The phone loudly blared, glowing red. "Okay, wrong one then? How about… Yukina Ookami." The phone lit up in green.

"Name has been accepted." A sad feeling crept up him. His sister had a palace? How on Earth was that possible? Palaces were still an enigma to Kuro, but he had the general gist. She couldn't have been miserable enough to have one, right? He recounted his home address, then was stumped on the keyword. When Morgana gave him the rundown, he said that it could be anything relating to a person's interest. What was his sister interested in? Doll houses? Castles? No…

"Home."

"Keyword accepted. Traveling to new palace." And thus, in waves of black and red, a new world was opened up to him.

* * *

 _ **Here is the latest chapter, hope you enjoyed, and review if you did. Sorry for the loooong break, I kinda needed it. Thank you and good night.**_


	8. Chapter 8: When There's Nothing Left

_**First off, I want to apologize for the very long wait for this chapter. Things in my life have been going horribly wrong recently, and I had quite a few scares that left me a bad mental state. I'll be fine for a bit, but it slowed me down. Either way, here's the next chapter, hope you enjoy it, and thank you for your patience. Review what you think, leave a funny comment if you want, it always helps me improve and enjoy. Thanks and see ya later.**_

* * *

Kuro was never the type to believe in luck. Miracles were few and far in between after all. However, finding a palace just in time to avoid Johnny Law? What a strong enough stroke to make a believer out of the fool. The moment the cops arrived, Kuro was long gone, grinning from ear to ear at getting away with the most satisfying punch he'd ever thrown. Still, a palace was a palace, and to his knowledge, a palace was far more dangerous than the current areas of Mementos that he'd explored. Not to mention, this one felt personal. Beyond personal.

The sky changed from blue to a very bright pink that was very hard on the eyes, with violet, very puffy cotton clouds. Alley walls lost their grime and graffiti, turning sleek and bright pink, looking as though they were made of velvet. The gravel shifted under Kuro's feet, becoming soft and squishy, almost like walking on a marshmallow. The air smelt of a light fruit scented perfume crossed with what could only be assumed as cotton-candy. Houses looked straight out of a dolls playset, looking as if they were made of plastic and rubber, mostly white and pink with colorful, odd looking roofs. The entire area felt like something straight out of a little girl's dream. In other words, for a teenage 'ruffian' boy, as others would love to call him, this was akin to a piece of hell made exclusively for him.

Stuffed animals replaced pedestrians wandering about the streets, waving and cheering to each other, acting way more peppy than any reasonable person would. Wait, talking stuffed animals? An entire world crafted out of a little girls fantasy, and that caught his attention? All of them seemed very familiar. Yes, it was from Destinyland, an old amusement park that his parents took him and Yukina about three years. How strange though. Yukina could've have been anymore than four during the trip. That trip must've had quite an impact on her.

The stuffed animals stopped occasionally to stare at him. Cute or not, those dead eyes were the stuff of nightmares. Something told him it wasn't the shadows that were gonna wake him up in a cold sweat tonight. One in particular was a droopy eared, dog looking monstrocity with a eyes like bowling balls, and a snout that could double as a very fat whip. There was just something about it that seemed unsettling to him, especially with the length of time that satanic hound was giving him goo goo eyes.

"Can I help you?" Kuro asked, feeling uncomfortable. Surprisingly enough, he still had his regular clothes on, not that odd ninja suit that he got in Okumura's palace. How strange. Then again, the environment didn't feel nearly as hostile. Was it activated during that maybe?

"Gawrsh, you sure can, little man!" The dog all too happily said, giving him a hard slap on the back. The blow itself didn't shock Kuro. It was just the fact that he barely felt it at all. It was like a pillow was being thrown at him by a toddler. All the same, it was uncanny. "There still so much happiness to spread, and we need someone to run some of the rides! Wait, oh my goodness, aren't you supposed to be in your office?"

That definitely through him off. That thing had the strangest way of speaking, tone constantly shifting in a comical way with an accent that was nearly indiscernible. Plus, the way it talked to him was as if it knew him somehow.

"Office? Buddy, I just met you." Kuro stated, slowly back away from him. "Honestly, buddy, I have no idea who the hell you are, or what for that matter, so step off stranger before I cram that floppy, size twenty shoe of yours up right up your ass."

The dog demon thing gasped dramatically. "My oh my, you should know the rules! No swearing in this lovely place! You should know better, you negative nancy?"

"Negative what? Okay, who the hell are you, how do you know me, and why should I care?" Kuro demanded.

"Gawrsh, you don't remember, kid? Did you get one of those head lumps and forget?" He asked, reaching for his head. Kuro backpedaled instantly, almost backing himself into the wall, trying to avoid those stuffing-filled excuses for hands. "Come on, kid. Don't be shy, give me a hug. Hugs make it all better!"

"The only thing that hug his gonna get you is a missing eye! Get off of me, mutt!" Kuro roared, arms out, trying to push the creep away. It was too late. The things baggy hands curled around his cheeks, making shivers run down his spine. "That's it!" Kuro reared his fist back as far as he could, and hooked across, fist landing square at the base of its snout. A loud rip just barely echoed in the speech filled streets. To Kuro's surprise, the head twisted like a spinning top, flying off with stuffing flying in every which way. The head landed at his feet, staring blankly right back at him.

Kuro's heart stopped dead. Did he just kill a man? Or, kill whatever that abomination was? The body was still standing somehow. He gulped, a mixture of guilt and horror setting in. That was soon replaced with terror at what happened next. The stuffed animals eyes rolled up on their own to stare back at him. His jaw fell open in shock. Then it opened its mouth and spoke. "Well, that wasn't very nice."

No. No, no, no! The line as been drawn! No more of this! Spinning on his heal, Kuro kicked off the ground, quickly vaulting the brick wall into the front yard of his house. No, that wasn't any kind of house Kuro had ever seen before. It looked similar to every other doll house, only massive in scale, standing tall enough to push through the clouds. Quite literally in fact. The top spire of the 'house' tore through the cloud as if it were solid. For all Kuro knew, it was. Anything was possible in this messed up fever dream of a world. At least that creepy dog thing didn't follow him. That moment was probably the most haunting experience ever.

Shaking his head, brushing the leftover dirt left on his clothes, he looked up at the castle gate that was the front door. He didn't have to bother tugging on it to know that it wasn't going to open anytime soon. Standing outside was something that Kuro thought he would never see. A person. An honest to God person. Whoever it was may have stood in the most suspicious way possible, jacket hood raised, and wearing nothing but black, aside from blue jeans, but that didn't matter. Finding anything remotely human was better than going back out there to those things.

"Hey, buddy." He called. "I know this is outta the blue, but I need some kind of help here. I'm completely out of the loop of what's going on. This is supposed to be my house, but obviously, there is something definitely not right about this." The figure turned its head just enough for him to see a poorly shaven mouth, but nothing else. "Or maybe you could just take me inside? I mean, maybe someone or something in there can help me."

"Why would you want to go in there?" the figure abruptly asked.

That voice. It was deep, gravilly and sounded exhausted and fed up. It sounded exactly like Kuro's voice. He narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"

The figure drew in a deep breath, and removed his hood. Kuro's heart skipped a beat, eyes wide. That was his face, his messy lengthy black hair, his poorly shaven face and natural scowl, but those weren't his eyes. Those eyes were a bright gold, gleaming brightly, but ironically soulless looking. The copy narrowed his eyes on Kuro, bringing a shiver down his spine. So that was his natural scowl in action. It was no wonder now why many people refused to look him in the eye. It was like staring straight at a demon.

"You're shadow, it would seem." Shadow Kuro said dully. "It seems even you aren't allowed in this house. I can't really complain though. It's pointless to go in anyway."

"The hell're you talking about?" Kuro demanded.

"Easy. The boogeyman is coming to take the princess away. Take her far away so that none of us will ever her again." Shadow Kuro drawled.

Boogeyman? Princess? What the hell was this maniac on about? No, this is Mementos rules. Everything has a meaning to it. The hard part was finding what the meanings were. Kuro looked upwards towards the top of the castle. Near the base of the spire was an absurdly wide circular window with the clearest glass that he had ever seen. Staring out that window was something that resembled his sister. There was no other person it could've been. Only she had that almost azure tinted hair, that innocent look in her eyes. Although, it looked almost just as soulless as that shadow of himself.

An instant protective urge fell over him. He took a running start towards the castle, only to be stopped by Shadow Kuro stepping in front of the door. "What did I just tell you?" He impatiently asked. "You and I? We don't belong anywhere near that castle, or its princess."

"Are you listening to yourself? That's our sister, dammit! She needs our help! You do know what the hell is going on, right? What's gonna happen to her if I don't do something?" Kuro demanded. "I have to help her, or she'll get taken away!"

"As if you care." Shadow growled. "Why does it matter now when it never mattered before to you? You spend so much time away from home, leaving her with an aunt that couldn't care less if she lives or dies. Do you know what it feels like to be truly alone? Do you honestly think taking her out for ice cream one day is gonna change a damn thing? Not when you treat the Princess like unwanted trash?" Kuro froze, completely dumbfounded. That thought had never crossed his mind. "Face it, you're an evil adult, just like all the others. You're not wanted here. Goodbye."

Shadow Kuro's eyes gleamed, a massive shadow billowing out from under his feet, stretching across the ground in a massive circle with a steady hum. The ground vibrated intensely, nearly forcing Kuro off of his feet. A choking fear paralyzed Kuro, taking any notion of summoning his poor excuse for a persona, even if he could at all. A gleaming orange paint stain grew under Kuro's feet, morphing into a mouth shape, opening him up and swallowing him whole. There was nothing but darkness around him, feeling like he was being smothered in all directions, squeezing the air out of him. He shut his eyes, just waiting for whatever this was to be over.

And suddenly, it was done. No droning sound, or shadows, just silence, and hard gravel. The burning summer heat told him that he was back in the real world. A thick stick poked and prodded at his back, almost impatiently. Another piece of trouble? Could he have a break every once in a while? He turned his head with a tight glare. As it turns, it was his neighbor, an old, elderly, almost toothless woman, who glared right back at him. The old bat prodded him again, forcing him onto his feet, grinning madly with a row of gleaming gums. Why that snarky, bitchy old fart! What he wouldn't give for her to be young enough for him to punch without the guilt following and potential murder.

It took a little for him to regain his bearings. He was outside his house again, without a scratch on him. It must've been quite a few hours in real time. The sun had just set it seemed, with the night sky just creeping over. Kuro looked out at his eyes looming over his head, and felt his heart race. He was scared. Scared of that house. No, not just scared, guilty. This was it. This was all his fault. Every single part of this was caused by his actions. His eyes stung and misted, but tears never came. No wonder his sister hated him, the coward that he was.

No. Just breathe. Find a happy place. What kind of happy place would someone like him have? Maybe the church. Yes, maybe a few games of Shogi in a very peaceful place would help out. It would be better than staring at the living reminder of his failures.

/

The trip over to the church felt absolutely instantaneous. There was just too much to think about. Kuro pushed himself into the church, a little more clumsily than intended. Tired and weary, he used the bench to support his weight, vision cutting in and out. Any sane man would find a doctor right now. Doctors be damned. He didn't need no damn doctor. The only thing that this salty dog needed was some time with a close friend. As if on cue, Hifumi turned her head towards him, looking quite surprised to see him like this. There was no smile afterwards however. Kuro would've wondered why if he didn't see the skinny man dressed in a business suit.

Yuto Takiyama.

No. No, no, no, no! Not her. Anyone else but her. Of course news would spread about a lowborn trash delinquent hanging out with one of the single greatest and most famous shogi players in her age, so Takiyama would know, but to think he'd go through with slandering his name like this. There was no doubt in his mind that was going on. The rat bastard was going through every detail about the past that he was desperately trying to leave behind. There was nothing left to feel right now but fear and anger. The way Hifumi shifted her gaze away from him, almost like she was terrified of him, told him everything that he needed.

He wanted to say something. Anything that could clear his name, but nothing came out. That was it. Spinning on his heel, he sprinted out of the church, tripped over the stairs, and kept on running as far as his legs could carrying him.

/

Years ago, Kuro's father told him that the ones who ran from their troubles and fears were the scum of the earth. Those who hid behind them were even worse. Oh how the old man would be rolling in his grave right now. Still, he couldn't help it. There was no handling a situation like that. Not when things just kept getting worse and worse. Kuro hated to admit it, but he was almost at his breaking point. It felt like nothing mattered anymore. Things that could not get any worse initially always exceeded his expectations. What else could he do now?

Kuro had no idea how long he'd been running. Whatever internal clock he had was completely shot by now. Rain had started a long time ago, completely drenching him, but he didn't care. He took refuge in an alleyway, sliding down the brick wall, just trying to figure out what to do next, if there was anything to do. Never before did he feel so damn helpless, weak and hopeless. He truly was useless now. To his sister, his family, to the Phantom Thieves, to everyone.

He didn't feel the rain for a moment. Did it stop already? Kuro looked up and saw an umbrella over his head. Kuro opened his mouth to shout, or make a fuss, not wanting someone elses charity, but nothing came out but raspy gasps. Standing over him was someone he never really expected. The third year student body president, Makoto Niijima.

"I realize you're a fan of bad choices, Ookami-san, but if you continue on like this, you'll be too sick to function." She said plainly.

Kuro scoffed. "The hell do you care for?"

"I care a lot for my classmates. We are all of one family, correct?" She answered.

"Family my ass." Kuro growled back, trying to shift away. "You'd all stab me in the back at a moments notice. That's just how people are. Why should I even bother anymore?"

"That is no attitude to have, Ookami-san." Makoto soothingly said. To his surprise, she knelt down, bracing herself under his arm and helping him up. As much as he wanted to fight back, he didn't have the strength. It seemed there was no saying no to her. "Come with me. I know a place where you can be safe." She smiled to him.


	9. Chapter 9: Resolve Of A Beast

_**Yeah, this has been a while. Sorry for the wait, life keeps getting in the way. Please comment what you think, and enjoy!**_

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The moment the doorbell hoisted at the base of Cafe Leblanc rang off, the customers were greeted to seeing a hairy, very wet delinquent, scowling at everything that lived and breathed. Naturally, they all ducked their heads a little low, with the old folks barely even acknowledging a dangerous ragtag roughhouser standing at the door. Kuro was waiting for at least one of them to turn their heads, point their fingers and wheeze 'unorthodox' before going back to their foreign, bland coffee and ponder the meaning of life, as old folks do. To be honest though, the amount of people noticing him anyway made him a little unnerved, keeping him standing at the door. Makoto rushed him inside, pushing him through the door and up the stairs, ignoring the old man barista, who shook his head.

The attic room, fitted into a bedroom, was the most cluttered, beautiful mess Kuro had ever seen. Every piece of furniture, from the rotting wooden workshop desk in the far corner, to the shelves filled to the brim with junk and debris seemed completely out of place, but it certainly had a home feeling to it. The shelf was full of strange looking decor, from a chocolate fountain, to twin swan porcelain dolls, to even a Rise Kujikawa poster just offsides, pasted on the wall, a staple of every teenage boy with free reign on how their room looks. To any onlooker, this room belonged to a very messy, odd, and geeky kid with too much free time. So naturally, this room belongs to Akira Kurusu, probably the oddest boy Kuro has ever met.

To his surprise, the entire team had grouped up in here, along with two extra additions, Morgana the cat, and Haru Okumura. They all seemed huddled around Morgana, hugging and reminiscing about whatever was bothering them. It didn't matter to Kuro. There were bigger issues to worry about. One by one, their gaze shifted over to Kuro, wearing a different expression, Ann's being complete confusion, Ryuji scrunching in apprehension, and Haru's slowly brightening into a smile.

"And then there's this asshole." Ryuji snapped, fists already raised as if anticipating a fight. "What're you doing here, Ookami? If you're looking for a fight, I'm raring to go right now!"

 _Quite a warm welcome into this humble abode._

"Shove it, Sakamoto, I'm not in the mood right now." Kuro growled, fists already clenching. Reckless Ryuji mode, right there. Starting a fight with a dangerous delinquent after a stressful meltdown? Did the depths of his stupidity rival ocean trenches? Kuro could only guess.

"Enough. We're not here to fight." Makoto shot across the two of them. She focused on Akira, whose eyes could barely be seen through the dirty lenses. Not being able to see his eyes brought some uneasiness on Kuro. What could that man be thinking? "It seems there are more fish to fry, leader. Our new companion here has a sister with a palace."

There it was, a sliver of a personality behind that mask. A wicked glint flashing past Akira's barely visible eyes, alert, ready, but also a little excited to some degree. "Is that so? Do you have any other information?"

"The door is being guarded by a Shadow of Kuro. It seems he is exceptionally strong compared to a lot of those we fight, or at least, that is how Kuro described it." Makoto explained.

"More like he got his ass kicked, and is whining to us for help." Ryuji scoffed.

"You wanna take this outside, you son of a bitch?" Kuro shouted suddenly.

"Guys!" Akira shouting was certainly an attention grabber. Kuro gazed at Akira curiously. "Fighting amongst ourselves will get us nowhere. We've still got Okumura to worry about as well. So, could you elaborate on his, Kuro?"

Kuro sighed, ringing a bit of rainwater out of his hair. The lingering despair pressed down on him like a weight, making him nearly crush the skin on his forearm, pinching it just to keep steady. With a heavy heart, he began.

"My family has always seen hard times financially. Neither of my parents really had outstanding merits or anything outside of a highschool degree, so they started work at Okumura's food business just to make ends meet, y'know? Not that many options for a family scraping to survive. It was fine for a while. We didn't have much, but I loved them." Kuro shuddered for a moment, the hard part rearing its ugly head. "Then sis was born. Mom was too weak to work properly, but she did anyway. Dad worked twice as hard to pick up the slack. Eventually… they both worked themselves to death."

They collectively gazed sincerely at him. Even Ryuji shifted uncomfortably upon hearing that. Who would have guessed that spunky brat would have a heart after all. In a turn of events, Makoto's gently squeezed his hand. The softness and warmth, coupled with that knowing, comforting look in her eyes calmed him down, even bringing some semblance of a smile to his face.

"Since then, it's just been me, my aunt and my sis. She supported us but, I have a feeling it's already wearing thin on her. CPA's been up my ass for months now, trying to take her away, especially this man named Takiyama. Some days, I don't even wanna go home. I guess my sister took that the wrong way, huh?" Kuro ruefully chuckled.

It was strange pouring his heart out to a room of complete strangers. Wrong even. Something deep inside felt a tad sickened by it. Being told all of his life by his father that men don't need to beg for help, that being dependant on someone means every notion of pride should be burned away to ashes, made all of this feel so wrong.

This entire situation made everything in the thief clench up hard, anger burning through him like a pinpoint laser. He grit his teeth, fist clenched hard enough for his nails to breach his skin and make it bleed. There was that ferocious urge to just punch something, anything, just utterly pulverize it until there was nothing left. Then once again, it hit him, just how worthless he felt. How dead inside he'd truly become. This wasn't a man anymore, but a living mass of anger and aggression, a wild dog just out to scavenge and cause mayhem. There was no helping him. There was no saving what couldn't be saved.

"Sorry for troubling you." Kuro abruptly sputtered, wanting anything to just leave as soon as possible. Just to run away from it all, like all of his other problems he no longer wanted any part in. "Please excuse me."

"Ookami, I'm warning you, you can't do this without us. For once in your life, take some advice." Makoto said with a slight edge in her tone. It seemed the range of her patience was shorter than Ryuji's intelligence.

"Step off, Prez. I'm not in the mood anymore." Kuro growled, trying to push past, already too angry to see any sense. He was practically seeing red at this point, but couldn't find a target, rhyme or reason.

"Kuro Ookami, sit down." Makoto demanded. That sudden sharp turn in Makoto's voice made Kuro's heart skip a beat. The lungs on that woman.

"Nijima, you-"

"I do not want to hear it, Ookami." She shouted, stamping her foot, standing in the way of the exit. For someone so small, Makoto had the glare of royalty on the verge of issuing out execution. Such dominant features surrounding those blood-red eyes. "You need help. We are the solution. Rest here, and stay with us, it's only logical."

"Logical? Who gives a shit about logical?" Kuro roared. "Why would I bother being logical? What would logical get me right now?" The fool didn't even know what he was saying at this point, screaming only because he wanted to scream. Just unleash whatever rage he could before the guilt and stillness took over.

"Both of you, please, you're both sensible adults for the most part, you can sort this out without slugging it out, right?" Akira tried to slide in and mediate, but whatever the two raging bulls were already at each other's throats. "

"What kind of fool are you?" Makoto shouted again, yanking him by the collar until they were nearly nose to nose. The minty overtones in her breath only irritated him more. "Do you even realize that you're not the only one going through difficult times?"

"Get off me!" Kuro shoved hard, but was unable to escape her grip.

"Enough with your nonsense, Ookami!" Makoto yelled. "I'll make you see common sense one way or the other!"

"Makoto, I seriously

For such a petite body, Makoto had a grip that would make bodybuilders question their life choices. To everyone, it was quite a spectacle to watch the petite young woman who looked like hardcore physical labor was foreign concept wrestling a bulky boxer nearly twice her size and muscle mass and nearly succeed. It seemed like an impossibility, yet here it was, two seniors wrestling, shouting, clawing, pulling and bashing each other to a standstill. Makoto braced down, tackling Kuro against the closet door hard. A little 'eep' could be heard inside. Probably someone hiding. Kuro was too busy to care.

The floor had cleared, the rest of the thieves watching in an odd mixture of horror, confusion and humor. The two attackers rolled around the ground, trying their hardest to pin the other to the ground, vying for any possible control. Kuro attempted to shove her off him, and pin her to the ground, but Makoto surprised him, straddling his hips, locking her thighs tight and restricting his movement. She pressed down on top of him, forearm braced at his throat.

It was only during that moment of silence that clarity was starting to come back. This was dumb. Very, very dumb. Just another temper tantrum brought on by the petulant man-child that was Kuro Ookami. Take a moment. Breathe it in. Once he did, all of the clenching, the heartache, it all began to dull. The red faded away, leaving Makoto's twisted expression, her messy hair, and the warmth of her body on his.

"There. Can we finally have a word without you storming off like a child?" Makoto huffed.

"As if I have a choice at the moment." Kuro solemnly said, looking away from her ruby red eyes. "Getting my ass kicked by a lightweight? You're getting rusty, Kuro." He chuckled ruefully to himself.

Makoto took a few deep breaths to calm herself before releasing Kuro, standing tall and offering her hand. "You're not the only one who suffers, Kuro." As much as Kuro wanted to reject her, that soft tone alone dragged his hand up to hers. "If I may, you give up too soon. For such a hardened delinquent, you really lack determination."

"I just don't see any reason to continue fighting a losing battle." Kuro said quietly. "The only thing I really have left to do is just get angry about it. Whatever happens next just… happens."

"Akira had his life taken from him. Did you know that?" Makoto suddenly pointed out.

 _What?_

"From the look of your flabbergasted expression, it would seem you didn't. A man used his money and political influence to condemn him for saving a woman's life. He was branded a criminal, forced to live here for probation." Makoto explained. "And he's not alone. When Ryuji and Ann were labeled by the school as delinquents, and hated, they fell apart. When my sister, the only family I have, constantly rejected me, I fell apart. When Yusuke's own mentor used his mothers painting to become rich, and lied to him for years, he fell apart. Futaba, the girl in the closet... " Makoto uncomfortably trailed off. "You get the picture. We suffered, but we all managed."

Kuro tried to dismiss it with a wave of his hand. "Don't lecture me with your cookie-cutter carebear bullshit. I've heard it all before, and I know I'll hear it again."

"We managed, so why can't you?" Ann shot in. "I mean, it's not like your situations very unique to us."

"Yeah, it's another case where the shitty adults and their money are trying to bring us down." Ryuji commented angrily. "Gah, thinking about it just makes me sick."

Kuro gazed at them with knowingly, feeling oddly connected to them. The amount of strain and toil the other thieves went through made him swell with respect. Also regret. Lots of regret. All the days Kuro spent hating the world, cursing it for the life it gave him, not once did he ever consider that someone might just have it as bad as he did. He couldn't even look them in the eye anymore.

"Can you really help me and my sister though?" Kuro asked. "Do I have your word on that?"

Akira grinned. "Of course. We are the Phantom Thieves after all. This is what we do."

/

The weather must've been the world's most elaborate psychic as it seemed to mimic Kuro's headspace. Overcast, threatening rain, with a golden disk that was the sun barely visible through the wall of clouds. Staring at the sky didn't seem like a favorable pastime to him, at least from a viewer's perspective, but there was something fascinating about them. It was at least interesting enough to end up skipping class just to spend time smoking behind the school, just staring at those ever changing, formless clouds drift by without a single care in the world. If only someone like him could ever have that kind of luxury.

Today was the day that Yukina's Palace was to be pillaged. There was supposed to be a treasure in the middle, a representation of their greatest desire. Lord knows what the treasure actually is, but the cat seemed excited about it. Stupid ball of annoying hair. If that furry freak messed something up in his sister's heart, that cat will be stabbed, skinned and turned into some damn good shoes.

Cigarettes were somethin Kuro made a point to give up. Just like the constant anger though, the urge to smoke the stress away was as prominent as an open wound. It was until the fourth cigarette in a row that Kuro realized just how much he started to reek. His guard must've been further down then he realized as he barely noticed a pair of scissors splitting the end of his newly lit cigarette in two. He sighed, spitting the stub out. A fresh glare was prepared for whoever just lit the fuse on that giant bomb known as temper, but it defused the moment he looked at Hifumi's soft features face. A face laden with concern, which was heartwarming to say the least.

"You do realize that's nearly a thousand yen you owe me now, right?" Kuro drawled.

"I am not going to supplement your dangerous habits, Kuro-kun." Hifumi gently reprimanded. Again with his first name. It was enough to jolt his heart out of his chest. "What if it hadn't been me finding you? That would've spelled the end of your education here, do you realize that?"

"Constantly. Maybe that's why I keep doing it. I like a little thrill every now and again." Kuro replied with a sigh. "Better than pouring on a desk, studying. Where's the life in that."

"It's not the life I have now that I'm studying for, it's the life I _will_ have." Hifumi said, sitting down next to him. "Every little piece helps, only it's just a drop of water in a bucket."

"If only I had your drive. Sorry about the smell." She said slowly, staring wistfully at the grass. "I'm quite used to it. My mother tends to smoke around the house all the time."

Kuro seized up for a moment. "Does she now?" The stub was spat out almost immediately. Perhaps this conversation could continue without the life threatening miniature smoke stacks interrupting. "If you don't mind me asking, what are you doing here? Did school let out early for you?"

"I was given time off today. A shogi match was scheduled for me, and it was finished swiftly. The students I had questioned knew where you would hide during the day, so I decided to come see you." Hifumi answered, twiddling her fingers, looking quite uncomfortable. "You came to the church yesterday, yes?"

"Yeah." Kuro said in a gravelly tone. "I thought you might have wanted a match, but you were busy."

Hifumi rubbed her temples, cheeks puffed a little bit. Quite strange, but also the cutest thing he's seen all day. More of that please. "Takiyama-san had approached me last night about your… behavior in the past. Oh goodness, it was quite… shocking." Kuro bit his lip, trying not to let his anger for that rat bastard envelop him again. Not in front of her. "I would like to apologize."

 _...What?_

"Hearing your situation at hand broke my heart. And I couldn't even look you in the eyes. To think someone could do that to you… I have no words to say." She sniffed, wiping at her reddening eyes.

Those were tears in her eyes. Actual tears. It was oddly the most heartwarming, and soul-crushing, thing he'd ever seen. It felt weird even thinking something like that. A sweet, shy angel was shedding tears for some kind of rage-filled bull. Right then every bit of anger was gone, replaced with that same sense of ease after everything was said and done. Hesitantly, Kuro brushed a tear off of her cheek. Quite a benevolent soul this woman had. It suddenly made sense why he would find her in a church.

"Please don't start crying about that. It doesn't involve you." Kuro slowly said. "This is my problem and no one elses." Unless the rest of the Phantom Thieves keep up their tyrade of bashing into the way, even though the help is very welcome at this point.

"Whether it is my problem or not, it's still wrong. The crimes that man listed were horrible, but his tone was disgusting. It was almost like he was claiming victory, so snide and insincere." Hifumi glared at the grass with eyes sharper than a razor. "How dare he? Such a foolish man turns my stomach!" With a vigorous shake, books fell out of her bag, scattering all over the ground. Hifumi covered her mouth with her hands, eyes wide, almost spooked by her own behavior. Kuro, on the contrary, was nearly grinning from ear to ear. "My apologies. I don't know what came over me."

"It's called anger, princess." Kuro mirthfully. "And something tells me you've been suppressing a lot of it."

"What's so funny, if you don't mind me asking?" Hifumi asked. Even when curious, she sounds so damn polite.

"You're a little cute when your mad. You have that little pout thing going with your cheeks, its kinda adorable really." Kuro answered honestly, feeling more at ease. Who would have ever guessed he started the day with such a sour mood?

"Cute? Adorable? Oh my…" She fanned her reddening face.

"Don't worry about your books. I've got them." Kuro said briefly, crawling on his hands and knees to pick them up. Hifumi gasped suddenly, reaching out to stop him, but the damage had already been done. "Princesses Guide to Taming A Beast?"

"That's mine!" Hifumi practically dove for the book, snatching it out of his hand and shoving it in her bag fast enough to tear a small hole in it. "Oh bother, of all the books you had to see…" That poor girls face would put a fire to shame.

Kuro chuckled. "I'll make an attempt to forget I saw that if you agree to go out with me this Sunday."

Hifumi's eyes went as wide as dinner plates. "Are you… really…"

"Asking you out, yes. I figured we'd actually plan on meeting somewhere outside of a church. Honestly, spending a little time with you got me excited. What do you say?" Kuro asked, trying his best to keep a polite tone.

She gawked at him before shifting her gaze away. "I suppose that would do. I will see you then?"

"Yeah. And… thanks." Kuro said with the most genuine smile he could muster. "Really. For understanding."

Hifumi smiled as well. "It is a pleasure, Kuro-kun."

/

Once again, the weather decided to play matchmaker of the minds, casting a gray cloud over most of the city. Thunder boomed overhead, rain threatening to downpore, casting an ominous, shadowy glow over the house that looked nearly unrecognizable despite Kuro spending the better part of his life there. It used to feel so much like home. Only now, there was a thick feeling of danger in the air, the air almost electrified with tension.

Akira bumped his shoulder, catching his attention. "Are you sure you're ready for this? We can take care of this ourselves if you want. Some of the things you see in there aren't really something you can just forget about." He asked, concerned. Ryuji and Ann stood behind Akira, still wary of Kuro. Makoto and Yusuke stood ready at the door, phones already out. Futaba was hiding behind Akira, holding onto his arm with a vice grip, if he could even call it that with those tiny little arms.

"No, I've had plenty of time to think about it. This is my problem, and I have to fix it." Kuro said with quiet determination. With a deep breath, he unlocked the door to his house, then took out his phone, pressing the app. "Ready?"

"As we'll ever be." Akira answered.

The moment the app was pressed, red and black waves distorted the reality around them, rippling through the air like a stone through a lake. With each ripple through the air, the house slowly faded, with what was left morphing drastically. Concrete became stone, stacking and shifting, sprouting towers and spires that nearly pierced through the bright pink skies and fluffy purple clouds. A scent of candy and sweets filled the air once more, a quick and sweet sounding jingle seemingly everywhere. It hadn't even been a minute, and it had started to wear on his nerves. It was hard to grab any footing with the grounds softness. Bouncing on a trampoline probably held better balance then whatever this was. Kuro certainly hadn't missed this place.

The stuffed animal pedestrians were back, strolling the streets, some talking casually with one another. Nope, nope, still very unsettling. There was no way to look at those sacks of mobile fluff and dead faces and not be shaking in your boots. That droopy eared dog one still had its head missing. It was carrying it. To think a world so innocent and childish could spawn something akin to Satan on Earth. At the very least, he had a weapon this time. That ninja uniform, along with his wolf-esce mask was back. Yuskuke, or Fox as he'd been informed earlier, looked at him with a discerning eye. It was a little invasive, really.

"Can I help you?" Kuro asked uncomfortably.

"Such subtle stoic features, coagulating well with the black suit. Those eyes are stunningly blue, with a brooding ferocity to it. I see a beast lying dormant, waiting to pounce on those that anger him. However, I also see a sort of gentle ease-"

"Sorry to cut your ramble off, but are you checking me out?" Kuro asked, shying away from him. "Because I'll be honest, I'm one for experimentation, but sausage is not in my list of favorites, thank you."

"Forgive me, I did it again." Fox said with a little bow of his head. "When I see a brand new potential work of art, I cannot help but annalyze and imagine it."

"It's fine. Either way, I think you were on to something." Ryuji, codenamed Skull, cut across. "The big guy needs a codename after all. I'm thinking Beast. Any objections?"

Kuro sighed. Quite fitting as they say. "I'll take it if it means we exit this damn conversation fast."

"Beast it is!" Skull said with a thumbs up.

The newly aforementioned Beast rolled his eyes, looking ahead at the castle. The moat was still up, meaning there was still a ways to go before they were allowed to get in. When the group stepped closer to the it, four of the stuffed animal men stood in front of it, staring limply at them, not nearly as mobile as the rest. The moment they stepped closer, they all snapped to attention, scaring the hell out of them.

"Where do you think you're going?" A short, white duck stuffed animal squawked in the highest, raspiest voice he'd ever heard. It sounded like he was constantly trying to cough, wheeze and hack something out, but was constantly failing miserably.

"We want in the castle." Beast bluntly stated. "Out of the way before you end up like that other chew to, carrying his own head."

The very small, black anthropomorphic mouse gasped loudly. "Was that… a threat? In this lovely place?"

"They don't belong here. They must leave before the princess realizes they're here." The duck squawked. All four of them suddenly burst into piles of red and black ink, spiraling in a massive spread until all four of the stuffed animals morphed into four tall men, covered in bird fur, with large wings, and the head of an eagle.

Joker tapped Beast's shoulder. "Andras'. Be careful." He warned.

"Thanks, but I don't need it. You guys can sneak in. I'll find my own way." Beast replied, closing his eyes. With a little focus, a spiral of black flames suddenly burst behind at his back, the twin tails of his scarf furiously whipping. Black feathered wings sprouted from each of its sides, the flames dissipating into a transparent figure in a thick black cloak with raven wing designs. Chains jingled loudly as they circled around it, with a sharp gleaming knife in one hand and a spiked chain in the other. It felt lacking in power, horribly insignificant compared to everyone else, but it was the best he could do. "Dice'em."

The figure responded immediately, moving in a rapid blur. With several flashes of silver light, the shadows were carved and cut apart, wind bursting from the pure power of the blows. The absurdly thick chains holding the moat had snapped too, making the entirety of it fall with a loud crash. With a deep breath, Beast took his first step in.

/

Shadow Kuro stood at the base of the castle, already sensing something had gone awry. The air had become ripe with tension, a slow grin appearing on his face. He turned to the two other adults in the room. The two Ookami seniors, who stared with similar golden eyes.

"Your sons home. Would you care to visit him?"


End file.
